Even Bad Wolves Can Be Good
by FirearmPrime
Summary: Sophia lived a normal life. She had two best friends, she played the sport she loved, and she was passing all of her classes. Everything was good. Until the day one of her friends was bitten by a werewolf. Now Sophia has to decide what to do, protect her friends? Or protect her secret? Slow-build Derek HaleXOC. Not good at summaries! Please read and review, fave, and follow!
1. Wolf Moon

**A/N: I have been obsessed with Teen Wolf for some time with a story idea floating around my head and I just got all of the DVD's a few days ago and so a new story has come to be. Please let me know what you guys think and if I should continue. Review, Faves, and Follows appreciated! I was also thinking about doing a tumblr page for updates on all of my stories; let me know your thoughts on that! It would just be written teasers since it would be my first time actually using tumblr, lol!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia laid on her bed as she finished her homework, her mid-back dark red hair created a curtain. It was dark out, close to almost eleven o'clock. She sighed softly as she filled in the last answer on her worksheet when something small tapped against her window. She looked up, pushing her hair behind her ear as she watched as a pebble hit the window. She slid off her bed, her bare feet hitting the cold floor, causing her to shiver as she walked over to the window. She opened the window and looked down; standing there was one of her best friends, Stiles Stilinski.

"Seriously? What are you doing here Stiles?" She whispered as loudly as she dared with her parents asleep. He dropped the pebbles and smiled at her.

"Get dressed and come down here, so I can talk to you!" He whispered back, his arms flailing in a very Stiles' fashion. She sighed and shook her head before closing the window quietly and getting dressed. She put on a pair of older jeans, a long sleeve shirt, a hoodie, and a pair of hiking boots before tying her hair into a ponytail. She slowly and quietly made her way down the stairs and out the door. She closed it softly behind her before turning to Stiles who was waiting for her.

"Okay, what' up?" She asked, crossing her arms to try and stay warm. Stiles smiled excitedly.

"I'm here to get you. My dad got called out on a call. They're searching for a body." He tried to contain his bouncing. Sophia raised an eyebrow at him.

"Okay, um… how are they searching for a body if they know where it is?" She asked and he smiled excitedly.

"That's the thing. They only found half." Sophia watched the boy before turning and locking the door behind her. Stiles was smiling as he walked over to his Jeep. "So what now?" She asked, jogging after Stiles.

"We go get Scott." Sophia nodded, getting into the powder blue Jeep. She put her seatbelt on as Stiles got in the driver's seat, making their way to Scott's.

**XXX**

"Stiles can't you just… oh, I don't know, knock on the front door! His mom is gone!" Sophia said as she watched Stiles climb up to Scott's window.

"I could… but this is much cooler." He said, smiling down at her. She rolled her eyes before shaking her head.

"Just be careful." She told him and Stiles scoffed.

"Me? I'm always careful." He said as he continued to climb. Sophia glanced at the front door when she heard it open. Scott slowly came out with his baseball bat in hand. She covered her mouth to keep from laughing and alert either boy of the other. She watched as Stiles slipped and fell, he somehow caught himself upside down on Scott's porch roof. Both began screaming and Sophia doubled over in laughter.

"Stiles! What the hell are you doing?" Scott yelled at the other boy hanging upside down.

"You weren't answering your phone." Stiles replied as if it was a valid excuse. "Why do you have a bat?" Scott looked at his bat and then his best friend.

"I thought you were a predator." He replied. Stiles scoffs at the unlikely nature of that. Sophia walked up the steps of the porch smiling when Scott saw her. "You're here too Sophie?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yep, tagging along with this one." She motioned to Stiles with her thumb. She put her hands on her hips, looking at Stiles and waiting for him to explain why they were there.

"Look, I know it's late, but you gotta hear this. I saw my dad leave twenty minutes ago. Dispatch called. They're bringing in every officer from the Beacon Department, and even the state police." Stiles said and Sophia could just hear the excitement in his voice.

"For what?" Scott asked, not quite as excited as Stiles.

"Two joggers found a body in the woods." Stiles answered before he flipped over, landing on his feet and leaning over the rail to talk to his friends. How is he coordinated enough to do that but he can't walk half of the time?

"A dead body?" Scott asked, now excited.

"Really Scott?" Sophia asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. "What else could it be?" Scott shrugged his shoulders before Stiles pulled his attention.

"No, a body of water. Yes, dumb-ass, a dead body." Stiles climbed onto the porch quickly, settling in between Sophia and Scott.

"You mean like, murdered?" Scott asked.

"Nobody knows yet." Stiles said, shaking his head and putting his hands on his hips. "Just that it was a girl, probably in her 20s."

"Wait a minute; if they already found the body then what exactly are they looking for?" Scott asked, looking between his two best friends. Stiles did a little fist pump as he smiled at Scott.

"That's the best part. They only found half." Scott's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "We're going."

**XXX**

They were back in Stiles' jeep and at the entrance of the Preserve in no time. All three of them got out, closing the doors behind them as the slipped under the chain that held the Beacon Hills Preserve sign. "Are we really going to do this?" Scott asked.

"You're the one always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town." Stiles said as he pulled a flashlight out of one of his pockets and turned it on, patting Scott's arm as he walked by the other boy.

"I was trying to get a good night's sleep before practice tomorrow." Scott said as he followed Stiles, Sophia following behind him silently.

"Right, 'cause sitting on the bench is such a grueling effort." Stiles said. Sophia rolled her eyes but followed behind the boys.

"No, because I'm playing this year. In fact, I'm making first line." Scott said with determination.

"That's right Scotty, you gotta believe." Sophia said as she patted Scott on the back.

"That's the spirit. Everyone should have a dream, even a pathetically unrealistic one." Stiles said as he lead them deeper in the woods

"So, I have a question Stiles." Sophia said, gaining the slightly younger boy's attention. Sophia was a grade ahead of them and a year older in age.

"What's up?" He asked, looking back at her but never stopping.

"What have of the body are we looking for?" She asked, jumping over a big root in the ground. Stiles stopped walking for a moment.

"Huh! I didn't even think about that." He said but continued to walk.

"What if whoever killed the body is still out there?" Scott asked this time, bringing up another important question that Sophia nodded about.

"Also something I didn't think about." Stiles said and Sophia rolled her eyes. They climbed up a huge hill, Stiles first, then Sophia, and then Scott.

"It's comforting to know you're planned this out with your usual attention to detail." Scott said a little breathless from the climb.

"I know." Stiles said as he reached the top of the hill. When Sophia reached the top, she turned back and offered her hand to Scott, helping him the rest of the way up. He was wheezing a bit when he leaned against a tree, pulling out his inhaler and shaking it.

"Maybe the severe asthmatic should be the one holding the flashlight, huh?" He said to Stiles before taking a hit from the inhaler. A few steps later, Stiles fell to the ground, the other two watched a little confused before realizing why he laid on the ground. Sophia and Scott followed his lead then. They could see the flashlights from the search team ahead of them. Stiles turned off his flashlight.

"Come on!" Stiles said as he got up and ran to the side.

"Stiles!" Both Sophia and Scott whispered to him as he left. Sophia sighed before standing up, following his lead, Scott behind her after he took another hit from his inhaler.

"Wait up Stiles! Sophia!" Scott said as he followed behind them. Sophia glanced back, slowing her run to a jog so that she was closer to Scott, just in case his asthma kicked in bad. Scott called Stiles' name once more and the other boy turned to his friends, not paying attention in front of him as he came face-to-face with a police dog.

"Hold it right there!" The officer said and Sophia and Scott quickly hid behind trees to avoid being seen. Sophia was supposed to be the good influence, Ms. McCall and Mr. Stilinski always told her that… although sometimes, Stiles gets her mixed up in things like this. Maybe she needs new friends…

"Hang on, hang on. This little delinquent belongs to me." Sophia heard Stiles' dad, the Sheriff, say as he came over to where his son was.

"Dad, how are you doing?" Stiles asked, playing innocent. Sophia rolled her eyes.

"So, do you listen to all of my phone calls?" His dad asked in an unimpressed voice.

"No." Stiles denied. "Not the boring ones."

"Really Stiles…" Sophia whispered to herself and shook her head.

"Now, where are your usual partners in crime?" His dad asked again and Sophia knew he was talking about herself and Scott.

"Sophia and Scott? Their home. They had said they wanted to get a good night's sleep for school tomorrow. It's just me. In the woods. Alone." Sophia glanced around the tree, he was jittery all over. He was so going to blow their cover if he wasn't careful.

"Scott! Sophia! You out there?" He called to us, his flashlight up and shining around. Sophia could hear the thunder coming, there was going to be a storm. Her attention was drawn pack to the Sheriff when he called their names once more. When they didn't answer, he assumed that they weren't there. The man sighed. "Well, young man, I'm going to walk you back to your car and you and I are going to have a conversation about something called invasion of privacy." Sophia glances around the tree before looking over at Scott. She shrugged her shoulders and watched as Scott leaned his head back, bumping it against the tree mouthing 'damn'. He sighed before Sophia began walking.

"Come on Scotty, let's head back this way." She said, listening as the younger boy followed behind her. They walked silently, listening to the sounds of the woods. Sophia would glance back every now and again to make sure that Scott was behind her. She glanced to the side before turning the way she thought they had come. A moment later, she heard the thunder of hooves and the sounds of deer. She turned around and saw that Scott was no longer behind her. "Scott!" She called.

"Over here." He said and she jogged over, seeing the boy lying on the ground. She could see deer tracks all around him; they had jumped right over him.

"You okay?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yeah, I dropped my inhaler." He said as he sat up.

"Alright, we'll look for it." She said, pulling her phone out and they used the screen to glance around at the ground to see if they could find it. Sophia regrets then not taking the flashlight from Stiles. Scott screamed before she heard him grunting and the sounds of leaves shifting. "Scott!"

"I fell! But I found the body!" She began walking over to where he was.

"But you're okay right?" She asked as she looked around.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said and she breathed a sigh of relief, one disaster avoided. Sophia stopped when she heard growling. She slowly glanced around, putting her phone back into her hoodie pocket and letting her eyes adjust to the darkness of the night. There was a moment of silence before the growling became louder and Scott's screams mixed with it.

"Scott!" She called and went running down the embankment he fell down. She stopped when she heard a howl. A familiar howl.

**XXX**

Sophia managed to get home and changed before she had to go to school. She slipped into a pair of dark blue skinny jeans with a pair of black leather ankle boots and a purple cold-shouldered shirt. She put on minimal make up and left her hair down. She walked all the way home, meaning she was tired but she knew she couldn't miss the first day. She slipped out of her Cherry Red 1968 Dodge Challenger. Her dad had bought it as a piece of trash and slowly rebuilt it just in time for her seventeenth birthday, putting his as her first day truly driving it around. She was excited. She pulled her bag out of her car, closing and locking the doors behind her. She made her way into the school to find Stiles and Scott.

"Okay, so let's see this thing." Stiles says once they were all together. Scott glanced around before he lifted his shirt carefully, allowing the two to see the large patch of gauze with some blood in the middle of it. "Ooh!" Stiles reached out to touch it before Sophia slapped his hand away.

"Don't do that." She said before looking at it. "Sorry I didn't get to you in time." She apologized and Scott shook his head as he put his shirt down.

"You were looking for my inhaler, it's okay." He said before grabbing his bag again, the three of them making their way inside.

"It was too dark to see much, but I'm pretty sure it was a wolf." Scott shouldered his bag and Stiles glanced at Sophia with a surprised expression.

"A wolf bit you?" Stiles asked to make sure.

"Uh-huh." Scott said.

"No, not a chance." Stiles said.

"I heard a wolf howling."

"No, you didn't."

"What do you mean, "No, I didn't"? How do you know what I heard?"

"Because California doesn't have wolves, okay? Not in like 60 years." Stiles said as he put a close on his and Scott's argument. Sophia watched on silently.

"Really?" Scott asked.

"Yes, really. There are no wolves in California." Stiles said again. Apparently Scott decided to let that one go.

"Alright, well, if you don't believe me about the wolf, then you're definitely not going to believe me when I tell you that I found the body." Stiles jumped held a hand out as if he was going to touch Scott.

"Are you kidding me?" He asked and Sophia shook her head, he was such a spaz.

"No, man, I wish. I'm gonna have nightmares for a month." Scott said back. Stiles laughed.

"Oh God, that is freakin' awesome. I mean, this is seriously gonna be the best thing to happen to this town since…" Stiles said excitedly before he trailed off. Sophia looked over her shoulder and saw Lydia walking past them with a friend. She didn't even spare them a glance. "Since the birth of Lydia Martin. Hey Lydia, you look…like you're gonna ignore me." Scott and Sophia looked at each other, trying not to laugh at their delusional best friend. Stiles bounced on one foot slightly before turning back to the two of them. "You're the cause of this, you know."

"Uh-huh." Scott said with a small smile on his face and Sophia chuckled.

"Draggin' me down to your nerd depths. I'm a nerd by association. I've been scarlet nerded by you." He said as the bell rang, signaling that they all needed to get to class.

"You know, maybe it is the slight obsession you have with her that makes it so that she ignores you." Sophia said, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm not a nerd and I have been scarlet nerded." Stiles rolls his eyes.

"Have you looked at her? How can you not be obsessed with her?" He asked, flailing like usual.

"Oh, I don't know." Sophia said, motioning to her boobs. Stiles looked down before looking back up at her face quickly and then looking at Scott, she could see a slight pink hue to his cheeks.

"Oh… right." He said and Sophia chuckled.

"Well, now that that has been figured out, I'll see you both later." She said before heading to her own class. Being a grade ahead meant that she didn't have any classes with the boys but she did have lunch with them and she would meet them periodically in the hallways.

**XXX**

When the last bell of the day rang, Sophia grabbed her things from her locker before making her way over to where she saw Scott. She noticed him staring at a new girl, one she had never seen before. A second later, Stiles and a friend of his were standing on the other side of Scott. "Who's that?" Sophia asked, nudging her head to the new girl that was joined by Lydia and Jackson.

"Allison Argent, she's new." Stiles said, glancing over at the girl before the one next to him began talking.

"Can someone tell me how new girl is here all of five minutes and she's already hanging out with Lydia's clique?" She asked as all four of them watched the three interact.

"Because she's hot." Stiles said shrugging his shoulders. "Beautiful people herd together." Sophia looked at her best friend and raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" Stiles looked over at her.

"What?" He asked, completely clueless. She shook her head and leaned back against the lockers, watching the three popular kids across the hall. She had never been popular nor had she ever wanted to be. When she moved back to Beacon Hills after living in Colorado, she was greeted with the prospect of new friends in the names of Stiles Stilinski and Scott McCall. She wouldn't trade them for the world. Sometimes she thinks about it but she knows she wouldn't.

**XXX**

Sophia, Scott, and Stiles went to the locker room. Sophia waved at the boys before going to her corner to change for Lacrosse practice. She put on a pair of black leggings and a crimson tank top. She put all of her gear on, her chest and arm gear before putting one of Scott's tank tops over that. She grabbed her helmet, stick, and gloves, making sure she had a hair tie before putting everything in her locker and closing it. She sat down to put on her cleats. She was the only girl to ever play Lacrosse for Beacon Hills and she always made first line, sitting as a bench warmer her first year as a freshman simply because she was a girl. Once her shoes were on, she peeked around at her boys, seeing that they were ready as well. She called their names and they all walked out together, jogging onto the field.

"But if you two play, I'll have no one to talk to on the bench. Are you really going to do that as your best friend?" Stiles asked his friends.

"I can't sit out again. My whole life is sitting on the sidelines." Scott said as they made it onto the field, dropping their bags down by the bench. "This season, I make first line."

"And I can't sit out; you know I would have to play really terrible to sit out from first line." Sophia pulled her hair back in a loose ponytail before putting her helmet on before she grabbed her stick and making her way onto the field, bumping shoulders with Danny when she came on the field. She smiled at him and he smiled back. He grabbed a ball and they started throwing it around before noticed Scott make his way to stand in front of the goal. Finstock blew his whistle and told them the exercise they were doing before she got into the line with the other players. She noticed Scott was looking over at the bleachers, Lydia and Allison were sitting there talking and she knew who Scott was looking at. The whistle blew and Scott clutched his head, trying to block out the sound. Sophia's brow furrowed, that's weird.

The first ball was thrown and it hit Scott in the facemask, knocking him down. The guys around her laughed as she sighed. "Hey, way to catch with your face, McCall!" A boy yelled to him and Sophia glared at him, ramming him with his shoulder to knock him over. He glared up and her as she glared down at him. Scott stood up, getting his stick before he readied himself in the goal. Another ball came flying and he caught it. Sophia and the rest of the team were surprised. She knew she was supposed to support her friend's crazy dreams but… Scott caught the freaking ball. Another ball, another catch. And another and another. He caught everything thrown at him. Sophia grabbed a ball and before she could move, Jackson hit her chest with his stick, causing her to grunt and glare at the boy.

"Asshole." She said and he glanced at her before he got a ball and eyed Scott. He ran at him, jumping into the air and putting as much force as he could into the ball… and Scott still managed to catch it. Sophia laughed before she ran at him and spun around, throwing her ball with just as much force as Jackson, Scott caught that one too. She could hear Stiles whooping in the background, along with all of the applause and cheering. Scott looked up and smiled at Sophia and the girl couldn't help but smile back. Scott threw the ball over his shoulder and Sophia caught it in her stick, she laughed.

**XXX**

After practice, they changed back into their street clothes before making their way back to the Preserve to see if they could find Scott's inhaler. Stiles had asked Scott how he had caught all of the balls. "I don't know what it was. It was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball. And that's not the only weird thing. I can hear things I shouldn't be able to hear. Smell things." Scott said as he ducked under a branch.

"Smell things?" Stiles asked.

"Like what?" Sophia asked. Scott sniffed the air briefly.

"Like Mint Mojito gum in your pocket." He said, looking at Stiles. "Or the Peanut Butter M&amp;Ms in yours." He looked at Sophia.

"I don't have any Mint Mojito…" Stiles said as he reached into his pockets, trailing off when he pulled the gum from one. Sophia patted her pockets down and found the rolled of pack of candy in her jacket pocket. Scott turned around and walked backwards, his arms out to the side in an I-told-you-so manner. Sophia and Stiles walked to catch up with the other boy.

"So all this started with a bite." Stiles questioned.

"What if it's like an infection, like my body's flooding with adrenaline before I go into shock or something?" Scott asked and Sophia shook her head.

"That's not going to happen Scott." She said, patting him on the back.

"How do you know?" He asked worriedly.

"You know what? I actually think I've heard of this." Stiles said drawing Sophia's attention to him. "It's a specific kind of infection." Scott stopped quickly, turning to his best friend.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think it's called Lycanthropy." Sophia's eyes widened just a touch; she didn't think either of them noticed.

"What's that? Is that bad?" Scott asked, getting a little frantic.

"Oh yeah, it's the worst but only once a month." Stiles said and Scott's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Once a month?" He asked.

"Mmm-hmm." Stiles made an affirming noise. "On the night of the full moon." He let out a small playful howl before Scott shoves him away. "Hey, you're the one who heard a wolf howling."

"There could be something seriously wrong with me." Scott said, a little upset that Stiles wasn't taking it more seriously. He looked at Sophia, his big brown puppy dog eyes pleading for her to understand. "What do you think Sophie?" He asked.

"I don't know what to think Scott but I honestly think you're going to be okay." She said, laying a hand on Scott's back as they continued walking.

"He's a werewolf!" Stiles said loudly, gaining the attention of his friends again. Scott looked at him with a look and Stiles chuckled. "Okay, obviously I'm kidding but if you see my in shop class trying to met down all the silver I can find its cause Friday's a full moon." Scott came to a stop before looking around.

"I could have sworn this was it. I saw the body, the deer came running. I dropped my inhaler." Scott knelt down to look under some leaves.

"Maybe the killer moved the body." Stiles said, being unhelpful as Sophia kneeled down to help Scott look.

"If he did, I hope he left my inhaler. Those things are like 80 bucks." Scott said, glancing down again. Sophia chuckled.

"I really don't think a killer would take your inhaler." Scott looked up at her.

"You never know." She chuckled and looked down again before she was smacked in the back of the head by Stiles.

"Ow, what?" She asked looking up at him before looking where he was looking. A man was standing there. He was in black jeans, a black shirt, with a black leather jacket over it. Scott and Sophia stood up as the man walked over to them.

"What are you doing here?" He asked and Sophia recognized him the closer he got. It was Derek Hale. Stiles rubbed his head as he looked away from the man before turning back. "This is private property."

"Uh, sorry man, we didn't know." Stiles said, motioning to himself, Scott, and Sophia.

"Yeah, we were just looking for something but…" Scott paused for a moment and Derek raised his eyebrows in a 'what' motion. "Forget it." In an instant, Derek threw something and Scott caught it. It was his inhaler. Derek turned around and left, the three of them stood still for a moment before Scott broke the silence. "Alright, come on. I gotta get to work."

"Dude, that was Derek Hale." Sophia turned, a little surprised that Stiles recognized Derek just as she had. "You remember, right? He's only a few years older than us."

"Remember what?" Scott asked.

"His family. They all burned to death in a fire like, ten years ago." He said.

"Six…" Sophia said, watching were Derek had walked away.

"What?" Stiles and Scott asked, turning to look at her. She turned to them.

"It was six years ago, not ten. He was sixteen." She pushed her hair back behind her ear. "Come on, let's get going." She began walking back the way they came, which was a lot easier in the daylight. Scott and Stiles remained quiet and still for a moment before they followed her.

**XXX**

The next day of school went by fast and before Sophia even knew it, she was back in her corner, getting changed for the Lacrosse try-outs. She put on a pair of crimson leggings with a black tank top, her gear, and then one of Stiles' crimson tops he uses for Lacrosse. It was not uncommon for her to steal her friend's clothes anyway. She put everything in her locker and sat down to put on her cleats after setting her stick, helmet, and gloves beside her on the bench. When she was done, she ran out to the field and began practicing with Danny until Finstock called for a get together. Sophia pulled off her helmet as she settled in beside Stiles. Scott was playing in the first elimination round, Sophia in the second and Stiles either with her in the second or in the third.

"Okay, you know how this goes." Finstock began. "If you don't make the cut, you're most likely sitting on the bench for the rest of the season. You make the cut, you play. Your parents are proud. Your girlfriend loves ya!" Finstock looked at Sophia and Danny. "Boyfriend…" He added and she nodded her head, smiling slightly. "Everything else is cream cheese. Now get out there and show me what you got!" Sophia looked over at Stiles, her brow furrowed.

"Cream cheese?" She asked and Stiles shrugged. Sophia sat down next to Stiles as they watched Scott in the first elimination round. He got hammered by Jackson almost right away. Sophia clapped her hands. "Come on Scotty!" Scott got the ball from Jackson and made it past everyone to score a goal. Sophia and Stiles stood up, cheering for their best friend. Finstock called him over; Sophia couldn't hear what he said until he had told Scott that he had made first line. Finstock called the first group off the field before telling the second group to go on. Sophia stood up, grabbing her stuff before Stiles stopped her.

"Can you come over later? I need your help with something." She blinked before nodding.

"Sure." He nodded before patting her shoulder.

"Go get 'em. Show 'em some girl power." She chuckled, Stiles would always tell her that before she made her way onto the field. It was a pre-practice and pre-game ritual. She bumped her shoulder with Scott's as he came off the field, he was smiling so big. She couldn't help but smile back. She got on the field, checking her helmet and her stick.

"I don't think girls are allowed to play." A new guy said coming up behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Then you better get off the field." She smirked when he glared at her.

"All I can say is be careful boys, she's a killer!" Finstock called and Sophia chuckled. She had ended up with the new group of boys, those who had never played or never made first line. She got down into position, waiting for the whistle to blow, this shouldn't be too hard.

**XXX**

Sophia ran home to change and take a shower before heading over to Stiles'. She had made first line again, showing up almost all of the boys in her elimination round. She laid on Stiles' bed, watching as the boy did all the research you could do on a werewolf. He was so into it, he jumped when there was a knock on his door. He opened it, seeing Scott and told him to get in there. Scott smiled at Sophia and they fist bumped before Stiles began talking again.

"I've been up all night reading. Websites, books. All this information." Stiles sat back down in his chair.

"How much Adderall have you had today?" Scott asked. Stiles turned to him, tilting his head.

"A lot. Doesn't matter. Okay, just listen." Scott chuckled before throwing his book bag down on the ground before sitting next to Sophia, letting her lean into his side.

"Is this about the body? Did they find out who did it?" Scott asked.

"No, they're still questioning people. Even Derek Hale." Stiles said and Sophia tried not to perk up at the name of the handsome man from the woods.

"Oh, the guy in the woods that we saw the other day."

"Yeah, yes! But that's not it okay?" Sophia raised an eyebrow. Maybe Stiles had more Adderall than she thought he did.

"What then?" Scott asked.

"Remember the joke from the other day?" Stiles asked. "Not a joke anymore." Scott looked at Sophia, who shrugged her shoulders softly. "The wolf. The bite in the woods. I started going all this reading. Do you even realize why a wolf howls?" Stiles jumped up from his chair.

"Should I?" Scott asked.

"It's a signal. When a wolf is alone it will how to signal its location to the rest of the pack." Sophia answered for Stiles, calmly.

"So if you heard a wolf howling, that means others could have been nearby." Stiles said right after Sophia finished talking. "Maybe even a whole pack of 'em."

"A whole pack of wolves?" Scott asked, not really understanding what Stiles and Sophia were getting at.

"No, werewolves." Stiles said. Scott stood up, causing Sophia to fall onto the bed.

"Are you two seriously wasting my time with this? You know I'm picking up Allison in an hour." Scott said, reaching for his bag again.

"We saw you on the field today, Scott. What did you did wasn't just amazing, alright?" Stiles said, putting a hand on Scott's shoulder to keep him from leaving.

"It was impossible." Sophia said, sitting up and crossing her legs, letting her arms rest on them.

"So, I made a good shot." Scott said before turning to leave again.

"No, you made an incredible shot, I mean, the way you moves, your speed, your reflexes." Stiles said, grabbing Scott's bag and throwing it to Sophia. She grunted when the bag hit her in the stomach. She glared at her best friend for a moment. "People can't just suddenly do that overnight. There's the vision and the senses…"

"Haven't you noticed you don't need your inhaler anymore?" Sophia said, standing up and setting Scott's bag on the ground. Stiles threw his arm out to the redhead, motioning that she was right.

"Okay! Guys, I can't think about this right now. We'll talk tomorrow." Scott said and Stiles panicked a little.

"Tomorrow? What? No! The full moon is tonight. Don't you get it?" Stiles' voice rose to the point of yelling.

"What are you trying to do? I just made first line, I got a date with a girl that I can't believe wants to go out with me, and everything in my life is somehow perfect. Why are you trying to ruin it?" Scott was almost yelling too.

"I'm trying to help. You're cursed, Scott." Stiles said softer and Sophia flinched at the word cursed. The conversation continued on before Stiles told him he had to cancel the date, pushing past the two of them to get Scott's phone out of his bag. "I'm calling her right now."

"What are you doing?" Scott asked.

"I'm canceling the date." Stiles said, turning his phone on and looking for Allison's contact information.

"No, give it to me!" Scott yelled, slamming Stiles against the wall, getting ready to punch him. Sophia moved quickly, grabbing Scott arm before pushing him away from Stiles. The other boy stumbled back into the opposite wall, breathing heavily, not even realizing the distance the girl had put between the two best friends. She was standing in a defensive position in front of Stiles, ready to Scott to try anything to hurt Stiles again. Scott finally calmed down, looking between his two best friends. "I'm sorry…" He said softly. "I gotta go get ready for that party." Scott grabbed his phone and his bag, slowly and carefully, not getting too close to Sophia or Stiles before he left. Stiles stayed against the wall as Sophia watched Scott walk around the room. "I'm sorry." He said one last time before he closed the door behind him. Stiles hit his head against the wall before Sophia sighed and picked up his computer chair that Scott had knocked over when he had stumbled back. On the back of it, she could see three long claw marks. Stiles was right. Scott was a werewolf. She glanced over her shoulder, looking back at Stiles when he saw the marks.

"I'll go to the party." She said and he nodded, picking up the papers and the books around the room. "If you need anything, just call." She said, watching as he nodded before she left the room.

**XXX**

Sophia had just pulled up to the party when she saw Scott's car leave. Allison was standing outside, watching him leave. The full moon was affecting him. Sophia got ready to drive over to where Allison was standing when a familiar figure appeared. Derek Hale was talking to Allison. They talked for a moment before Allison got into his car, a sleek black Camaro. Sophia texted Stiles, letting him know that Scott left before heading towards his house. She arrived at the same time as the Jeep, both of them getting out and running up the stairs to Scott's room. The door was locked so Stiles knocked.

"Go away." Scott said from inside.

"Scott, it's us." Stiles said, listening for a reply. A moment later, Scott opened the door a little bit, allowing his friends to barely see inside the room. "Scott, let us in. We can help."

"No! Listen, you gotta find Allison." Scott said.

"She's fine, alright? Sophia said she saw her get a ride from the party." Stiles said and Sophia shook her head quickly, she knew what was going to happen. "She's totally fine."

"I think I know who it is." Scott said back, sounding pained. "It's Derek. Derek Hale is the werewolf. He's the one that bit. He's the one that killed the girl in the woods." Scott said and Stiles looked at Sophia, who just looked at him. She shook her head no before Stiles turned back to the door.

"Scott, Derek's the one who drove Allison from the party." The door slammed shut, knocking Sophia into Stiles as they tried to open the door. Sophia shivered when she heard the roar from outside.

"We have to move now Stiles." She said, grabbing the boy's wrist as she pulled him outside. "You go to Allison's house, see if she's there. I'm going after Scott."

"How do you know where he's going?" Stiles asked, getting ready to get into the Jeep.

"Just trust me and go." Stiles nodded, turning over the engine and pulling off down the street. Sophia took in a deep breath before running in the direction of the preserve. She knew that's where they would be. She got to the entrance in record time, seeing the same Camaro sitting there. She ducked under the chain and ran in the direction of where she heard Scott. She slowed to a walk when she saw Scott crouched on the ground, completely wolfed out. Her vision, for the first time in years, flickered between the colored world she had come to know and a red before returning to normal.

"Where is she?" He said with a lisp, his fangs affecting his speech.

"She's safe. From you." Derek's voice rang out. A second later, Derek tackled Scott to the ground and hit behind a tree.

"What did you do to her?" He asked and Derek shushed him.

"Quiet." There was a moment of silence and Sophia could almost hear someone moving around the forest. "Too late. They're already here. Run." Derek told Scott before getting up and running. Scott got up and began running, Sophia right behind him when an arrow skimmed her leg, hitting a tree and flashing a bright white light. It stunned the both of them before Scott's arm was pinned to a tree with another arrow. Scott screamed in pain before trying to pull the arrow out. Sophia ran over, grabbing a hold of it as well and pulling it but it was too embedded into the tree of either of them to do much. Some men came around the corner, two had guns and one had a crossbow. The man stepped into the light; he was older with gray hair. Sophia couldn't see his eyes from where he she was but she knew she had never seen him before and she tries to make it a habit to remember all the hunters.

"Take them." The man said and one of the other hunters lifted his gun. Suddenly, the two hunters were thrown away before Derek came and ripped the arrow from Scott's arm, causing him to scream again. This time, Scott and Sophia followed Derek without any prompting. They ran as fast as they could before Scott fell to his hands and knees, panting and gasping. Sophia bent over, putting her hands on her knees to regain her breath. Sophia watched her friend, she had noticed that he had shifted back to normal. Scott sat back against the tree so he could see Derek.

"Who were they?" He asked the older man.

"Hunters." Derek answered, glancing at Sophia before going back to look around the forest to make sure they weren't followed. He turned his attention to Scott. "The kind that have been hunting us for centuries."

"Us? You mean you! You did this to me!" Scott yelled at him. Derek paused for a moment, walking closer to Scott slowly.

"Is it really so bad Scott? That you can see better, hear more clearly, move faster than any human could ever hope? You've been given something most people would kill for. The bite is a gift." Derek said and Sophia scoffed slightly. Just like a born-wolf to say.

"I don't want it." Scott said back to him.

"You will. And you're gonna need me if you want to learn how to control it. So you and me, Scott, we're brothers now." Derek said, bending down to put a hand on Scott's shoulder and look him in the eyes. Derek turned and walked away, giving Sophia one last look before he disappeared into the darkness. Sophia watched him go before walking over to Scott and kneeling in front of him.

"It'll be okay." She said, putting a hand on his arm. He looked at her, nodding softly before looking at his injured arm.

**XXX**

The pair had slowly made their way out of the woods by morning and when Sophia finally had service, she called Stiles to pick them up. They walked down the road, when they heard the old Jeep come up beside them. Scott opened the door, letting Sophia get in the backseat first before Scott got into the passenger seat. Stiles offered his blazer for Scott to put on, which he did, before curling up in the passenger seat. "You know what actually worries me the most?" Scott asked Stiles.

"If you say Allison, I'm gonna punch you in the head." Stiles said, glancing over at Scott before glancing back at Sophia in the rearview mirror. The girl shrugged her shoulders before leaning back.

"She probably hates me now." Scott whined and Stiles sighed.

"I doubt that but you might want to come up with a pretty amazing apology. Or, you know, you could just tell her the truth and revel in the awesomeness of the fact that you're a frickin' werewolf." Scott looked at him and Stiles looked back. "Okay, bad idea." Scott looked upset for a moment so Sophia leaned in between them.

"Hey, we're gonna get through this." Sophia said, putting her hand on Scott's shoulder.

"Yeah," Stiles said, patting Scott's arm. "If we have to, we'll chain you up on full moon nights and feed you live mice." Scott looked over. "I had a boa once, I could do it." Scott scoffs but finally smiles a little. Stiles and Sophia smiled at each other before she leaned back in the seat. There was a long journey ahead for the three of them and Sophia just hoped that they were ready to take on whatever happened.


	2. Second Chance at First Line

**A/N: Here's chapter two! I'm having some trouble with my internet so once I get that fixed I can post some more! Please review, fave, and follow!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia had just finished putting on her Lacrosse clothes, a pair of black running shorts and a dark blue tank top with all her pads over, finished off by a tank top she stole from Scott at some point, her black knee socks and black and silver cleats. She threw all of her stuff in her locker before grabbing her gloves, helmet, and stick. Stiles was walking towards her when he stopped at what she thought was around were Scott was. He motioned her over and she came over, peeking around him to see Scott shirtless and leaning against his locker. "Did you apologize to Allison?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah." Scott answered.

"So, is she giving you a second chance?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah."

"Yeah! Alright, so everything's good!" Stiles said, trying to sound excited. The two of them went to walk away when Scott spoke.

"No." They came back around the corner.

"No?" They asked at the same time.

"Remember the hunters?" Scott asked and Sophia nodded, how could she forget… "Her dad is one of them." Sophia felt her jaw drop and her eyes widen.

"Her dad?" Stiles asked.

"Shot me…"

"Allison's father?"

"…with a crossbow." There was a moment of silence, Stiles not knowing what to say and Sophia being stunned.

"Allison's father…"

"Yes, her father!" Scott yelled before suddenly, realization was written all over his face. "Oh my god…"

"No, Scott, come on, snap back. You okay?" Stiles said as he and Sophia stepped forward, trying to calm Scott down.

"He didn't recognize you, right?" Stiles asked.

"No. no, no, I don't think so…" Scott answered, looking thoughtfully.

"Does she know about him?" Stiles asked and Sophia smacked him on the back of the head, give him something else to worry about.

"I don't know. What if she does?" The whistle blew to begin practice. Stiles and Sophia looked at the door before Stiles grabbed Scott Lacrosse things out of his locker.

"Okay, just focus on Lacrosse, okay? Here, Scott, take this. That's all you got to do, yeah?" Stiles said, trying to get Scott's mind off the Allison and her father.

"Lacrosse…" Scott said and Sophia nodded before turning and walking out the door.

"Just relax Scott and you'll be fine." Sophia put her helmet on as she came on the field. They played a small scrimmage game with each other before they had to make a goal and get around Jackson. Scott was in front of Stiles and Sophia behind him. Scott ran at Jackson, only to be picked up and knocked down hard. Sophia peeked around Stiles to look at Scott even from where she was standing; she could see the gold in his eyes. She nudged Stiles, he looked back at her. "We need to watch out."

"Why?" He asked, trying to divide his attention between Sophia and Scott.

"His eyes are changing." She said and now she had Stiles' attention.

"Changing? What do you mean changing?" He whispered.

"A werewolves eyes change when they shift. His are changing now." She said, motioning to Scott with her head. Stiles looked at their best friend.

"How can you even see that from here? I can't tell." He looked back at her and she shrugged.

"Guess I just have really good eyesight." Stiles scoffed and turned back around.

"Apparently." Stiles said before Scott came running back over to them.

"McCall's gonna do it again! McCall's gonna do it again!" Finstock said to let everyone know what was going on. Jackson and Scott got ready. The whistle blew and this time, it was Jackson who got picked up and thrown down. When they fell, Jackson grabbed at his right shoulder and Sophia pointed to him.

"That's what we were hoping to avoid." She turned her attention to Scott. He fell to the ground, grabbing his head. Sophia took off her helmet; running over to him and kneeling down in front of him, her fingers grabbing his face mask so that she could tilt his head up and look into his eyes. They were gold and his fangs were dropping. Her vision swam red for a moment before returning to normal. Stiles ran over and knelt down beside him.

"Scott?" Stiles asked as he knelt down.

"I can't control it. It's happening." Scott said, the slight lisp from the fangs getting more noticeable.

"What? Right here? Now?" Stiles asked and Sophia looked up at him.

"I don't think there's really a set moment that it happens. Come on, help him up. Let's get him in the locker room." Stiles helped Scott up as the three of them made their way to the locker room.

**XXX**

When they got Scott into the locker room, Stiles kept asking if he was okay until the other boy looked up at them, his fangs completely dropped and his eyes shining the bright gold. "Get away from me!" Sophia grabbed Stiles and moved away from their friend. Scott jumped onto the lockers, looking down at them, growling. Sophia tried to make sure that she was between Stiles and Scott the whole time until Stiles grabbed the fire extinguisher from the wall. When Scott jumped down and landed in front of them, Stiles turned it on and blasted Scott as he stepped into the hallway, taking a moment to breath. Sophia peeked around the corner and watched Scott take his helmet off.

"Stiles? Sophia?" Scott said quietly to them. Sophia felt Stiles peek out from behind her, the fire extinguisher ready. "What happened?" With a sigh, Stiles dropped the fire extinguisher on the ground and pulled off his gloves as the two of them stepped back into the locker room.

"You tried to kill us. It's like I told you before. It's the anger, it's your pulse rising. It's a trigger." Stiles explained as he and Sophia sat down in front of Scott.

"But that's Lacrosse. It's a pretty violent game, if you haven't noticed." Scott said.

"Well, it's gonna be a lot more violent if you end up killing someone on the field. You can't play Saturday. You are gonna have to get out of the game." Stiles told him and Scott shook his head softly.

"But I'm first line."

"Not anymore." Sophia said with a sad voice. She knew how much this meant to him but with his shift as unstable as it is, there was no way he should be allowed to play.

**XXX**

Sophia was just finishing up her homework when her computer dinged from her desk. Looking up, she saw that it was a video request from Stiles. She accepted it as she sat down in her computer chair. "What'd you find out?" Scott asked.

"Well, it's bad. Jackson's got a separated shoulder." Stiles answered.

"Because of me?" Scott asked.

"Because he's a tool." Sophia said, pulling her hair back over her shoulder.

"But is he going to play?"

"Oh…" Sophia said with a small chuckle.

"They don't know yet." Stiles answered for her. "Now they're just counting on you for Saturday." Scott sighed and shook his head slightly. Sophia tilted her head and she noticed Stiles leaning forward a little on his screen as well. It looked like there was something behind Scott.

"What?" Scott asked. Stiles began typing when she noticed that Scott froze on their screen.

"Scott?" She asked, clicking on his picture. His computer had frozen or something. She noticed Stiles' text in the corner of her screen. Sophia noticed the figure when they came closer to grab Scott from in front of the computer. It was Derek. She rolled her eyes; he always had a flare from the dramatic.

**XXX**

Sophia was walking to her next class when Scott grabbed her arm from behind, making her jump. She turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to Derek's after school. Are you gonna come?" She tilted her head.

"And why am I going?" She asked and Scott was silent for a moment. "Because I have a car?" He gave a sheepish smile. She sighed. "Fine. Meet me at my car right after school and we'll go." Scott nodded and went off to his own class. The last class of the day was over and when Sophia got to her Challenger, she saw Scott already waiting for her. She rolled her eyes, unlocked the doors, got inside and started it up. "Are you sure about this?" She asked and Scott nodded. She put it into reverse before making her way to the Preserve. She pulled up in front of the Hale house before Scott jumped out.

"Derek! Derek!" Scott called for the older man. Sophia turned off her car and got out, walking over to where Scott was standing. By the time she reached the younger boy, Derek had walked out on the porch. Scott jumped when he noticed him, apparently his mind somewhere else. "Stay away from her! She doesn't know anything." Sophia looked at Scott; apparently he was talking about Allison.

"Yeah? What if she does?" Derek countered. Sophia slipped her hands into her pockets as Derek walked closer to them. "You think your little buddies Stiles or Sophia can just google "werewolves" and now you have all the answers, is that it?" Sophia's eyes narrowed as she felt her chest vibrate, a small growl waiting to be let out but she held it in. "You don't get it yet, Scott, but I'm looking out for you. Think about what could happen. You're out on the field, the aggression takes over and you shift in front of everyone." Derek bends down and picks up his Lacrosse stick. "Your mom, all your friends, and when they see you," he poked Scott in the chest with it and the younger boy went to hit it away but was too slow. Derek put his fingers on the net of the stick before his claws sliced right through it. Scott was pissed. "Everything falls apart." Derek finished. He knocked it into the air and Scott caught it, when he looked back, the older man was gone. Sophia shook her head, grabbing Scott's wrist.

"Come on Scotty." She said as she pulled him back over to her car.

**XXX**

"What did you find? How did you find it? Where did you find it? And yes, I've had a lot of Adderall. So…" Stiles said as he came running into the room, stopping beside Scott. Sophia's eyes widened briefly before she shook her head.

"I found something at Derek Hale's." Scott answered.

"Are you kidding? What?"

"There's something buried there. I could smell blood."

"That's awesome. I mean, that's terrible. Whose blood?"

"I don't know. But when we do, your dad nails Derek for murder. And then you help me figure out how to play lacrosse without changing. Because there's no way I'm not playing that game." Scott threw his lacrosse stick down next to Sophia, who looked at it, he restrung it.

"Well, this all sounds so exciting but I think I'm going to just head home. I got homework to finish and my own stick to restring. I'll see you both later." She said, following them out the door.

"Are you sure you're not coming with us?" Stiles asked her as they got ready to get into the Jeep.

"I'm sure. Have fun without me." She said, slipping inside of her Challenger before heading home.

**XXX**

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Sophia said to herself as she drove her Challenger through the woods of the Preserve once more. She stopped in front of Derek's house, leaving her lights shining on the boys digging in a hole. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She said while walking over to them with her hands on her hips.

"The blood from the half of the body that the joggers found match the scent of the blood from here. We think it's the other half of the body." Scott said, looking up at her.

"Well, even so, here's my question. What are you going to tell the Sheriff when you tell him you know where the other half of the body is? Are you just going to tell him you stumbled across it? What about the fact that you dug up the hole? Do neither of you think?" Sophia just let word after word fall from her mouth, she knew Scott was listening but Stiles wasn't.

"We'll figure it out." Scott said before going back to digging. Sophia rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, watching the two. Stiles and Scott threw their shovels out when Stiles hit something. They uncovered it and saw that something was down there, tied up several knots. They worked together to untie them before they opened it up, a black wolf head greeted them. Even Sophia jumped when both Scott and Stiles jumped out of the hole.

"What the hell is that?!" Stiles yelled.

"It's a wolf." Scott said surprised.

"Yeah, I can see that." Stiles said, looking at his best friends. "I thought you said you smelled blood? As in human blood?"

"I told you something was different." Scott said, shrugging his shoulders.

"This doesn't make sense." Stiles said.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Sophia said, trying to prompt the boys to leave.

"Yeah, okay." Scott said.

"Help me cover this up." Stiles said, getting ready to grab his shovel when he noticed something. Sophia looked over and she saw it too. A small, purple flower… wolfsbane.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked.

"You see that flower?" Stiles asked, pointing to it.

"What about it?" Scott asked.

"I think it's wolfsbane." Stiles explained.

"What's that?" Scott asked and Stiles went on a big spill about _The Wolf Man._ Stiles got up when Scott didn't understand and grabbed the flower. Attached to the roots was a rope and as Stiles pulled the rope up, it created a spiral around the three teenagers. Sophia glanced around; it was the symbol for revenge. Scott stood up as Stiles got almost all of the rope up. "Stiles…" He said and the other boy came over. The wolf had turned into the other half of the woman. Sophia's eyes widened. Laura Hale…

**XXX**

Sophia leaned against the Jeep, Scott and Stiles wanted to her hang around as Derek was arrested. She tried to refuse but they wouldn't let her. They'd all went home and changed and Sophia ended up riding back out to Derek's house in the Jeep. Derek got lead out in handcuffs and put into the back of the police car. A minute later, Stiles came sauntering by the two, going to sit in the passenger seat of the police car, closing it behind him. Scott was freaking out and Sophia just rolled her eyes. Stiles had a short conversation with Derek before his dad came and took him out of the car; they had a conversation before Stiles made his way towards Sophia and Scott.

"I can't believe you made me come." Sophia said, leaning back in her seat.

"It wasn't that bad." Stiles said, looking at her in the rearview mirror. She raised an eyebrow and glared slightly.

"I can't find anything about wolfsbane being used for burial." Scott said while typing away at his phone.

"Just keep looking." Stiles said. "Maybe it's like a ritual or something. Like, maybe they bury you as a wolf." Sophia tried to take in a deep breath. For the last few minutes she has been feeling like she couldn't breathe. "Or maybe it's like a special skill. You know, like something you have to learn" She glanced into the front of the Jeep; Scott was having the same problem.

"I'll put it on my to-do list." Scott said. "Right underneath, 'Figure out how the hell I'm playing this game tonight.'" Sophia shook her head, trying to figure out why she was having trouble breathing.

"Maybe it's different for girl werewolves…" Stiles said.

"Okay, stop it." Scott said to him.

"Stop what?" Stiles looked over at him.

"Stop saying werewolves. Stop enjoying this so much." Scott sounded pained.

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked.

"No! No, I'm not. I'm so far from being okay."

"You know, you're going to have to accept this Scott. Sooner or later…"

"I can't…"

"Well, you're going to have to."

"No! I can't breathe." Sophia tried to keep her gasping quiet, so Scott was having the same problem. Scott hit the roof of the Jeep once, growling, which cause Stiles to almost run off the road. She watched as Scott grabbed a back pack, pulling some of the wolfsbane rope from inside. "You kept it?!" Scott asked.

"What was I supposed to do with it?" Stiles asked. Scott growled once again.

"Stop the car!" He growled out and Sophia looked up in the rearview mirror, her vision staying red now and a reflection was looking back at her that she hadn't seen in a long time. Stiles slammed on the breaks and grabbed the bag, throwing out into the woods. Scott got out the passenger seat and took off. Sophia relaxed, her vision returning to color as she was finally able to breathe without the scent of wolfsbane floating around.

**XXX**

Stiles had dropped Sophia off at home to get ready for the game. She packed all of her game clothes, her stick, helmet, gloves and everything before putting them in her duffle. Sophia was in her corner of the locker room, her pads on, her jersey on (she sported number 29) and her basketball shorts (that she wears only for games). She finished tying her cleats before putting her red hair into a ponytail at the nape of her neck. They came out onto the field and she put her helmet on. The whistle blew and she ran onto the field with Scott. The game began and the first ball was knocked away from both teams, right around where Scott was. He ran for it, only to be rammed by Jackson, who got the ball and scored a goal. She ran over to Jackson, hitting him with her chest before getting helmet to helmet with him.

"What the hell?" She asked and Jackson pushed her away, glaring at her.

"Don't get in my way." He said, brushing past her. She briefly thought about hitting him with her stick as her vision, once more, flashed red but she decided against it. She sighed, patting Scott on the shoulder as she got back into position. Sophia overheard Jackson tell some of the boys not to pass to Scott, she even thinks she heard her name in their briefly. She raised an eyebrow, looking over at Scott and nodded her head. Scott's eyes changed to gold before he nodded back. Sophia glanced at the clock, 1:29 down by two. Shouldn't be too hard. She and Scott had her own little get together. If one of them would get the ball, they would pass to each other and help each other out. When the ball flew overhead, Scott jumped on one of the opposing players shoulders and caught it. Sophia took off running, watching Scott dodge the other team's players left and right. He saw Sophia was open and closer to the goal so he passed it to her and she quickly slung her stick, making it in the net, scoring a point.

Scott ran over to her, hitting their helmets together as he smiled. She smiled back, hitting him on the head. "Be careful." She said and he nodded as a few other players came over to congratulate them on the point. Sophia knew Scott was pretty much almost completely shifted when the player from the opposite team pretty much passed him the ball. He dodged players before making another point; the ball going right through the goalie's net, stopping the clock at 39 seconds. Sophia ran over to him, hit his helmet with hers. "What did I say?" He growled softly, chuffing with every breath, and she felt her chest vibrate as she let one of her own loose. "Calm down." She said, her voice gravely as she talked through the growl. The last ball was put on the ground, this was for the win. Sophia left Scott and got into position, taking in a deep breath to calm herself down. Scott caught the ball but was surrounded by the other team and Sophia could hear the little chuffs and growls coming from him. This was not good.

He was feeling like a caged animal. Sophia wasn't sure what calmed him down but something it and it resulted in him being able to get the winning point with four seconds left. Scott dropped his glove and Sophia could see the claws. He looked around before taking off towards the locker room. Sophia looked around as the crowd came into the field, she had to find Stiles. She found him sitting on the bench beside his dad.

"Hey!" He called to her. "Great game." She smiled.

"I didn't do much. Hey listen. Scott's not good." She whispered the rest. "He was losing control. I don't know how he controlled it enough to make the last shot but he did. I think he went into the locker room, we need to go check on him." Stiles nodded before his dad got off the phone. He gave them some important information before they ran into the locker room, hiding around the corner when they saw Scott and Allison having a moment. Allison walked by them.

"Hi Stiles, Sophia." They waved before walking over to Scott.

"I kissed her." Scott said.

"We saw." Stiles said.

"She kissed me." Scott said again.

"We saw that too." Sophia said with a small smile.

"It's pretty good, huh?" Stiles asked and Scott sighed with a big smile.

"I don't know how, but I controlled it. I pulled it back." Scott said, so excited. "Maybe I can do this. Maybe it's not that bad."

"Yeah, we'll talk later then." Stiles said as he and Sophia turned to leave. Scott grabbed them both by the arms.

"What?" He asked and Stiles sighed.

"The medical examiner looked at the other half of the body we found."

"And?"

"Well, I'll keep it simple. Medical examiner determines killer of girl to be animal, not human. Derek is human not animal. Derek not killer. Derek let out of jail." Stiles said.

"Are you kidding?" Scott asked.

"No and here's a bigger kick in the ass. My dad ID'd the dead girl, both halves. Her name is Laura Hale." Stiles said and Scott's face was shocked.

"Hale?" He asked and Stiles nodded.

"Derek's sister." Sophia said. Things were getting more and more complicated by the day. 


	3. Pack Mentality

**A/N: Two chapters in one day! I'm on a roll! I hope you guys like this story! Please review to let me know!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

"So you killed her?" Stiles said as the three best friends walked into the school.

"I don't know. I just woke up and I was sweating like crazy and I couldn't breathe. I've never had a dream where I woke up like that before." Scott said, glancing back at Stiles and Sophia. She glanced back as well; Stiles had gotten stuck on the door, glaring at it like it had personally offended him.

"Really? I have. Usually ends a little differently." Stiles said, turning back to his friends, catching up with them.

"Ew!" Sophia said, playfully pushing Stiles, who chuckled.

"A: I meant I've never had a dream that felt that real, and B: never give me that much detail about you in bed again." Scott said and Sophia laughed.

"Noted. Let me take a guess here." Stiles said before Scott cut him off.

"No, I know, you think it has something to do with me going out with Allison tomorrow. Like I'm going to lose control and rip her throat out." Scott said, glancing at Stiles out of the corner of his eyes.

"No, of course not." Stiles said before Scott looked at him. "Yeah, that's totally it." He said when he knew he had been caught.

"It's going to be alright." Sophia said, turning around so that she could walk backwards at face the boys.

"Yeah, personally, I think you're handling this pretty freaking amazingly. I mean, it's not like there's a Lycanthropy for Beginners class you can take." Stiles said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, not a class, but maybe a teacher." Scott said, looking between Stiles and Sophia.

"Who Derek?" Stiles asked before slapping him in the back of the head. "You forget the part where we got him tossed in jail?"

"I know but chasing her, dragging her to the back of the bus, it felt so real." Scott said, looking down at the ground as he walked.

"How real?" Stiles asked.

"Like it actually happened." Scott said before they walked outside. One of the buses back doors had been torn open and there was blood all around it.

"I think it did." Stiles said, the three of them looking on in shock.

**XXX**

"She's probably fine." Stiles said to Scott as they walked through the halls. Scott texting Allison and waiting for a reply.

"She's not answering my texts Stiles." Scott said, turning back to the other boy.

"Scott, you need to calm down." Sophia said, walking behind the young werewolf but beside Stiles.

"It could all just be a coincidence." Stiles said and Sophia looked at him, really? He shrugged his shoulders.

"A seriously amazing coincidence." She mumbled as they continued to follow Scott. They followed Scott as he began panicking until he rounded a corner; neither of the other teens had saw which way he went.

"That's not good." Stiles said looking around for Scott.

"When people start screaming we know why." Sophia said, also looking around. When Sophia saw Allison walk by her, she sighed. Everything was fine. Sophia said bye to Stiles as she went into her English class.

**XXX**

Classes went on as normal before the bell rang for lunch. Sophia walked through the line, getting her lunch, before making her way over to Stiles and Scott. She smiled at them both as she sat down. "Dreams aren't memories." Stiles said after smiling at her before turning his attention back to Scott.

"Then it wasn't a dream." Scott said back in a hushed tone. "Something happened last night and I can't remember what."

"What makes you so sure that Derek even has all the answers?" Stiles asked and now Sophia was pretty sure what the boys were talking about before she sat down. Derek was a normal topic of conversation now in their little three musketeers group.

"Because during the full moon he wasn't changed. He was in total control, while I was in the middle of running around in the middle of the night attacking some totally innocent guy." Scott said, looking between Sophia and Stiles.

"You don't know that." Sophia said to him.

"I don't not know it." He said back to her and she pointed her finger at him.

"That is improper English." The boy chuckled softly and she smiled.

"I can't go out with Allison. I have to cancel." Scott said, his face falling from amused to upset.

"No, you're not canceling, okay?" Stiles said. "You can't just cancel your entire life. We'll figure it out."

"Figure what out?" Lydia asked as she sat down next to Scott, across from Sophia. The slightly older girl raised her eyebrow before looking at Stiles and Scott.

"Just, uh, homework." Scott said, looking at Lydia.

"Why is she sitting with us?" Stiles whispered to Scott and Sophia. Both of them shrugged as more and more of Lydia's clique sat down. Sophia smiled when Danny sat down beside her. It was hard not to like Danny. They had been friends since she moved back to California, before he came out to anyone, she knew.

"Hey D." He looked at her and smile.

"Hey So-so." She couldn't help but smile. It was a stupid nickname that Danny said one day to annoy her and the more he said it, the more it stuck. Jackson walked over, telling the boy sitting next to Lydia to move.

"How come you never ask Danny to get up?" The guy asked.

"Because I don't stare at his girlfriend's coin slot." Danny said with a smile and Sophia tried not to choke on her water. The guy moved seats before Jackson sat down. "So, I heard they're saying it's some type of animal attack. Probably a cougar."

"I heard mountain lion." Jackson said and Sophia's brow furrowed. Aren't they the same thing?

"A cougar is a mountain lion." Lydia said before it was like a switch flipped. "Isn't it?"

"Who cares?" Jackson said. "The guys probably some homeless tweeker who's gonna die anyway."

"Actually I just found out who it is. Check it out." Stiles said, showing a video of the scene earlier. The man that was attacked was the bus driver for the bus that Scott used when he was living with his dad.

"Can we talk about something slightly more fun please? Like, oh, where are we going tomorrow night?" Lydia asked Allison. The brunette looked confused. "You said you and Scott were hanging out right?"

"We were thinking about we were going to do." Allison said, trying to get out of what Sophia was sure was going to be a double date. Sophia glanced at Stiles, almost laughing at the face he was making.

"Well, I am not sitting home again watching lacrosse videos, so if the four of us are hanging out, we are doing something fun." Lydia said and Scott looked so confused.

"Hanging out?" He asked Allison and she looked just as confused before shrugging her shoulders. "Like the four of us?" Sophia glanced around before looking at Stiles; she had to cover her mouth with her hand. Stiles had his mouth completely full, looking like a chipmunk and he was trying not to talk so he had his own hand placed over his mouth. Stiles took a drink, rolling his eyes and throwing one hand in the air when Jackson said something. Stiles ate a fry, making some weird shoulder motions with a furrowed brow. Stiles looked at Sophia and rolled his eyes before taking another drink. If Sophia removed her hand she would be in hysterics. He was so much sassier when he couldn't talk.

**XXX**

"You're a terrible bowler." Sophia and Stiles said at the same times as they walked to their next classes.

"I know! I'm such an idiot!" Scott said.

"It was like watching a car wreck. I mean, first it turned into the whole group date thing. Then out of nowhere comes that phrase." Stiles said, rubbing both of his hands over his head. "Hang out. You don't hang out with hot girls, okay? It's like death." Sophia looked over at them before they both looked at her.

"No offense." She rolled her eyes but continued walking.

"I mean, once it's hanging out, you might as well be her gay best friend. You and Danny can start hanging out together." Stiles continued and Sophia chuckled.

"Danny is my gay best friend." Stiles pointed to Sophia.

"See!" Sophia shook her head, Scott wasn't amused.

"How is this happening? I either killed a guy or I didn't." Scott said.

"I don't think Danny likes me very much." Stiles said and Sophia looked over at him. That was so off-topic.

"I ask Allison on a date and now we're hanging out."

"Am I not attractive to gay guys?"

"I make first line and the team captain wants to destroy me and now… now I'm gonna be late for work."

"Wait, Scott, you didn't… am I attractive to gay guy… You didn't answer my question." Sophia patted him on the cheek before she made her way outside to her car.

**XXX**

Sophia did a lot of dumb things but this had to be downright one of the dumbest. She pulled the Challenger behind the burnt Hale house and got out. She looked up at the house before looking at the backdoor, jumping when she saw Derek standing there. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"How do you even do that? That whole, mysteriously appearing thing… Is it a werewolf thing or just a Derek thing?" She asked, waving her hand around at him.

"What are you doing here?" Derek asked again, punctuating each word. Sophia rolled her eyes.

"I'm here to talk about Scott." There was a moment of silence between them before he opened the door and walked inside, leaving it open. Sophia blinked and her brow furrowed as she followed him inside. Derek stopped and turned to her, crossing his arms once the door was closed.

"What about Scott?" He asked and Sophia sighed.

"He wants help. He wants to learn how to control it so that he can live a normal life but that's not going to happen unless he comes to you. I think he will but you've got to be a little nicer to him." She said, watching the older man.

"I don't have to do anything." He said, walking up the stairs. Sophia sighed, a small growl slipping out before following him up the stairs.

"Actually you do! Because if something happens to him and people find out about him, like you said, they're going to find out about you!" Derek stopped and turned to her.

"Why do you even care?" He asked, glaring at her, his own eyes flashing blue at her. Sophia felt her eyes tingling bit she tried to control it.

"Because I don't want Scott to get hurt and you're the only one that is able to do that." She said, putting her hands on her hips and cocking her hip to one side. He watched her for a moment before his brow furrowed again.

"What are you?" He asked. She blinked in surprise.

"What?" She asked.

"What. Are. You?" Derek said slowly, punctuating ever word as he had done earlier. She glared at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He got ready to say something else when he turned his head to the window. He stepped into one of the rooms, looking through one of the windows. Sophia followed him, peek around him to see a police cruiser pull up. The officer got out and looks up at the house. Derek began growling, watching the officer come closer to the house before turning his attention to the police dog in the car. It was like the dog could just sense his presence and began to bark at the house. The officer ignored the dog for a while before the dog got more impatient, the barking got more intense and eventually the dog had its head and one paw out of the window. The officer ran back to his car and got inside, pulling away from the house and seconds later, Scott appeared. Sophia looked at Derek with her arms crossed of her chest. "Told you so." She said before beginning to make her way down the stairs. Derek watched her closely before taking another look at Scott before following the redhead down the stairs. Scott was standing on the porch when Derek and Sophia exited the house. Scott looked surprised but didn't' say anything. Derek closed the door behind him, putting his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.

"Okay, I know I was part of you getting arrested and that we basically announced you being here to the hunters. I also don't know what happened to your sister but I think I did something last night. I had a dream about someone but someone else got hurt and it turns out that part of the dream might have actually happened." Scott explained.

"You think you attacked the driver?" Derek asked.

"Did you see what I did last night?" He asked.

"No." Derek answered.

"Can you at least tell me the truth? Am I going to hurt someone?"

"Yes."

"Could I kill someone?"

"Yes."

"Am I going to kill someone?"

"Probably."

"Can you say anything else but one word answers?" Sophia said, looking over at the older man. He glared down at her before turning back to Scott.

"Look, I can show you how to remember. I can show you how to control the shift, even on a full moon but it's not gonna come for free." Derek said.

"What do you want?" Scott asked, feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment.

"You'll find out but for now, I'm gonna give you want you want. Go back to the bus. Go inside. See it, feel it. Let your senses, your sight, smell, touch. Let them remember for you." Derek said.

"That's it? Just go back?" Scott asked, looking at the older man.

"Do you want to know what happened?"

"I just want to know if I hurt him."

"No, you don't. You want to know if you'll hurt her." Derek said and the look on Scott's face told them that they were right. Sophia stepped forward and put her hand on Scott's arm.

"Come on, let's go. My car is around back." she pulled the keys out of her pocket and handed them to Scott. "Go get in." The boy nodded, grabbing the keys before walking down the steps and walking around the house. Sophia was about to walk through it when Derek grabbed her arm hard, making her flinch.

"I am going to find out what you are." She turned to him and glared.

"I'm human, that's what I am." She yanked her arm away from him and went through the house, outside, and into her car. She started it up and went to Stiles' house as directed by Scott. She pulled up to the house, putting the car in park. "Are you sure you guys don't need me?" She asked as she turned in her seat to look at the younger boy. He nodded his head.

"I'm sure. We're just going to go check the bus. Besides, you said you really needed this study session with Danny." It was true, she was having a hard time in her math class and Danny offered her study time. She couldn't turn down on of her best friends, especially the one that was actually good in math.

"Alright, if you're sure… Call me if anything happens okay?" She said and Scott looked at her with a small smile.

"We will." She nodded and watched as he got out and walking inside Stiles' house. With a sigh, she put the car in drive and made her way towards Danny's house.

**XXX**

When she began heading home, it was almost nine thirty. The curfew was still in effect but she was seventeen going on eighteen so she felt that she could bend the rules a little. Besides, she was the Sheriff's favorite, sometimes even more so than his own son. She glanced down at the gas meter, she was almost on** E **and there was one gas station between where she was at the moment and her home. When she saw it come into view, she turned in and drove down to the furthest pump and got out. She ran inside, grabbing a soda and paying for her gas inside before walking back out. She sat her soda on the trunk of the car before she undid the gas-cap and put the nozzle in, holding it down so that the gas could fill her car's almost empty tank. She was almost done when a familiar black Camaro pulled up behind her. She sighed, blowing some hair out of her face as she watched the man get out of the car and pay for his gas at the pump, giving her an easy nod. She nodded back and took the nozzle out of her car, she was done. She put the gas-cap back on at the same time a maroon Suburban pulled in front of her, blocking her way out. She glanced at Derek and noticed a white one behind him. The driver's side door opened and Chris Argent stepped out. Sophia could just feel the hair on the back of her neck as it stood on end. Sophia walked around to the driver's side, she had planned to get out of there but Argent had blocked her in, there wasn't enough room to get out. Derek finished pumping his gas before putting the gas-cap back on.

"Nice ride." Chris said to Derek as he walked towards the werewolf and the Camaro. He had nodded to Sophia, to which she nodded back so that he knew she had seen it. "Black cars, though. Very hard to keep clean." Chris began rubbing a spot on the hood of the Camaro. "I would definitely suggest a little more maintenance." He turned to grab the windshield cleaner and began to do that as he continued talking. "If you have something this nice, you want to take care of it, right?" Chris asked and Sophia knew exactly here was going. He began cleaning Derek's windshield. "Personally, I'm very protective of the things I love but that's something I learned from my family and you don't have much of that these days." Sophia raised an eyebrow and watched as Derek's hands clenched into fits before he released them. Chris nodded softly. "There we go." He put the cleaner back. "You can actually look through your windshield now. See how that makes everything so much clearer?" The two men watched each other for a moment before Chris turned and began walking back to his car, stopping beside Sophia, who was still standing at the driver's side. "I thought you left Sophia." He said, standing beside her.

"I was going to but you didn't leave me enough room." Sophia said, motioning to the little bit of room she had to get out, it wasn't enough, not without scratching her car.

"Sorry about that. I thought I left more room." He said, his face never changing to look like one of apology or guilt. "So where we you tonight?" He asked, looking down at her. She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

"I was at Danny Mahealani's house studying math." She said, trying to not alert the man that she was nervous.

"Oh, okay. I would just make sure you're more careful." He said, setting a hand on the roof of the car beside her head. "You never know what or who could be waiting in the darkness." He gave her a smirk and her hair stood on end.

"You forgot to check the oil." Derek said from where he was standing. Sophia glanced at him over Chris' arm, the man was clenching his fingers, even from where she was standing, she could see a tick in his jaw. Chris pulled away from Sophia and looked at Derek before at his two lackeys. Chris smirked before turning to face Derek.

"Check the man's oil." He said and one of the men came up to the driver's side of the Camaro, knocking the window in with the butt of his gun.

"Looks good to me." He said as he walked back over to the white suburban.

"Drive safely. Both of you." Chris said as he walked back to his own car before getting in and driving off, the white suburban followed him. Sophia waited until they had turned back onto the main road before she turned to look at Derek.

"You okay?" She asked and he nodded as he came around to the driver's side, looking at the window.

"You?" He asked, turning to her. She nodded her head. "What the hell was Argent talking about?" She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. Drive safe." She said, getting in the car and driving back to her house.

**XXX**

About half way home, she decided to make a detour to Scott's. She pulled in at the same time he rode in on his bike. She smiled as she got out of the car. "Hey, how was the 'hanging out'?" She asked, making sure that Scott could hear the air quotations around hanging out. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"It was okay. She kissed me though." Sophia chuckled as she and Scott made their way up the steps.

"Awesome dude." Scott had just closed the door behind them and locked it when they heard screaming coming from upstairs. They both ran, taking the steps two at a time until they reached Scott's room. He flipped the switch on; they saw his mom standing at the foot of his bed with his baseball bat with Stiles sitting on the bed.

"Can you please tell your friend to use the front door?" Melissa asked as she turned to Scott.

"But we locked the front door. He wouldn't be able to get in." Scott said back, sounding confused.

"Yeah, exactly." She answered. "And, by the way, do any of you care that there's a police-enforced curfew?"

"No." Stiles, Scott, and Sophia all said at the same time, shaking their heads a little.

"No, well, alright then. You know what? That's about enough parenting for me for one night, so goodnight." Melissa said as she turned to walk out of the room, throwing Scott's baseball bat on the bed beside Stiles.

"Goodnight." Scott said to her as she walked out. Stiles sighed, watching Scott as he got his computer chair out. Sophia sat down beside Stiles and leaned back to lie out of Scott's bed.

"What?" Scott asked as he sat down.

"My dad left for the hospital 15 minutes ago. It's the bus driver." Scott sat in silence, waiting for Stiles to continue. "They said he succumbed to his wounds."

"Succumbed?" Scott asked.

"Dead, Scott. He's dead." Sophia said while sitting up to look at the young werewolf.

**XXX**

"Scott, this isn't going to help." Sophia said as she drove Scott to Derek's. The boy was going to run or ride his bike but the older woman refused. So she sent Stiles home and got into her car with Scott, heading to the old burnt down house. Once at the house, Scott didn't say anything before he jumped out of her car and barreled into the door, slinging it open. Sophia sighed before leaning back in her seat; this was something for Scott to work out so she didn't even get out of the car. Sophia jumped when she heard a roar from inside. She slung her own door open before she ran inside. Scott had shifted into his beta form and thrown Derek through a wall. When he re-emerged from the hole, he was in his own beta form, looking so much different from Scott's own but yet the same. His growling, his roar, his ice blue eyes all sent shivers down Sophia's spine. Although, if they were from fear, excitement, or arousal… she wasn't sure.

Sophia watched the fight; she knew there was nothing she could do. Getting in the middle of two angry werewolves? Not in her list of things to do today, thank you very much. One good swipe of claws to Scott's stomach caused the younger boy to change back. Derek rolled his neck a few times, as if it made the shifting easier. Sophia came over to Scott, putting a hand on the back of his neck. She glanced at it, small dark gray to black veins appeared but she had to make sure neither boy noticed.

"I didn't kill him." Derek said to Scott. "Neither of us did. It's not your fault and it's not mine."

"This?" Scott yelled to the older man. "This is all your fault." Scott pulled away from Sophia to step closer to Derek. "You ruined my life."

"No, I didn't."

"You're the one that bit me!"

"No, I'm not."

"What?!"

"I'm not the one that bit you." Derek said slowly and suddenly it looked like Scott was having a flashback before he stumbled into Sophia, who helped him sit on the couch behind them.

"There's another." Scott said to Derek as he looked at the older man.

"It's called an Alpha. It's the most dangerous of our kind. You and I, we're Betas. This thing is more powerful, more animal than either of us. My sister came here looking for him. Now I'm trying to find him. But I don't think I can do it without you."

"Why me?"

"Because he's the one that bit you. You're part of his pack. It's you, Scott. You're the one he wants." Derek said, answering so many questions but also leaving many unanswered or making new ones. Sophia rubbed her forehead, this was going to be rough.


	4. Magic Bullet

**A/N: Please review! Thanks and hope you are enjoying the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Classes for the day were pretty normal, nothing out of the ordinary happened and Sophia even got a B+ on a test she took that she thought she had bombed. The bell rang and Sophia began putting everything in her locker when she was joined by Stiles. She smiled at him as they made their way to the parking lot.

"So, do you believe Derek?" He asked. She shrugged.

"I have no reason not to believe him." She said, adjusting the strap of her bag when it began to slip. "I don't see what he has to gain from lying to us and if he truly wanted to hurt us he would have done it by now." She said, glancing around when she thought she smelt the very similar scent of leather before she let it go.

"I guess so." Stiles said, throwing his stuff into the passenger side of the Jeep, Sophia doing the same for the Challenger. They always try to park right next to each other.

"No practice right?" Sophia asked as she stood up to her full height. Stiles nodded.

"Yep, no practice." She nodded before going to the driver's side and looking at the slightly younger boy.

"If you want some help researching tonight, let me know. I'll come over." She said and he nodded.

"I'll remember that." Stiles said with a smile as he went around and got into the driver's seat. Sophia chuckled and did the same, following Stiles as he backed up and out. Sophia let out a squeak and so did her tires when she slammed on the breaks when Stiles had slammed on his. When the boy didn't get out or move right away, she threw the Challenger in park and got out, running over to him.

"What the hell Stiles?" She asked and the boy pointed to the front of the Jeep. She gasped when she saw it. Derek was lying on the ground, pale and obviously weak. Sophia jumped over his legs as she knelt down on his left side. Scott came over and kneeled on the right side of the man. Sophia was helping him sit up to at least talk to Scott.

"What are you doing here?" Scott asked.

"I was shot." He said.

"Shot?" Sophia asked, making sure she heard him right.

"He's not looking so good, dude." Stiles said from where he was standing behind Scott.

"Why aren't you healing?" Scott asked.

"I can't." Derek answered. "It was a different kind of bullet."

"A silver bullet?" Stiles asked, excited.

"No, you idiot." Derek said, looking up at the boy.

"Wait. That's what she meant when she said you had 48 hours." Scott said and the other three around him were confused.

"What? Who said 48 hours?" Derek asked, panting through the pain to talk.

"The one who shot you." Scott said back to him. Derek groaned in pain before he opened his eyes, they were flickering between their usual green (what color they really were, Sophia wasn't sure, every time she saw Derek they looked different) to their Beta blue. Scott glanced around quickly and Sophia did the only thing she could think to do, she grabbed the back of Derek's head, fingers twisting in the short strands before pulling his head into the base of her neck. She expected him to growl and bite but he didn't, he just groaned softly and breathed in her scent.

"What are you doing? Stop that." Scott said to Derek.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. I can't." Derek said back, his voice muffled by Sophia's shirt and collarbones.

"Derek, get up." Scott said before helping Sophia get Derek to his feet. "Help us get him in your car." He said to Stiles. Stiles opened the door for them as they got him in the passenger seat. Sophia jogged over to Stiles, who quickly got back into the driver's seat.

"Go to my house. I'm going to drop my car and then I'll hop in with you guys." Stiles nodded. Sophia ran back to her car, putting in drive and pulling out behind the blue Jeep. The drive to Sophia's house took a few minutes. She pulled into the driveway, happy to see that both of her parent's cars were gone to work. She got out, closing and locking the doors behind her before jumping into the back of the Jeep. She had to crawl over Stiles to do it, something they're used to doing so it didn't bother either of them… much. "Can you please get a four door?" She asked once she was settled in the back, giving Stiles a playful smile. He rolled his eyes before pulling back onto the road as Derek began to shrug out of his leather jacket. Sophia grabbed it and put it beside her on the backseat. She jumped when Stiles' phone landed in her lap. It was a text from Scott saying that he needed more time.

"Seriously? Sophia asked as she closed the phone and set it on the middle console.

"Try not to bleed out on my seats, okay?" Stiles said as he turned to Derek. "We're almost there."

"Almost where?" Derek asked, he was getting paler by the minute and he sounded in extreme pain. Stiles sighed.

"Your house."

"What? No, you can't take me there." Derek said, looking up at Stiles. He sounded about as panicked as you can sound when you're dying from a wolfsbane bullet.

"I can't take you to your own house?" Stiles questioned, his arms beginning to flail.

"Not when I can't protect myself." Derek said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Stiles pursed his lips before pulling off on the side of the road and throwing the Jeep in park and turning it off. Sophia rolled her eyes.

"We don't' have time for this boys." She said but they both ignored her.

"What happens if Scott doesn't find your little magic bullet? Hmm? Are you dying?" Stiles questioned Derek loudly.

"Not yet. I have a last resort." Derek said, panting.

"What do you mean? What last resort?" Stiles said, laughing in disbelief and at this point, even Sophia was starting to wonder. Derek rolled up his sleeve and the wound was now clearly visible.

"Oh my god! What is that?" Stiles questioned, turning away from the werewolf. Sophia, who was leaning between the seats, had to lean back from the ultimate assault of the smell of death and decay. She watched as Stiles glanced back at him. "Oh, is that contagious? You know what; you should probably just get out." Stiles said, pointing to the passenger side door.

"Start the car. Now." Derek said, looking at Stiles. He was still extremely pale and panting. He wasn't that threatening at the moment.

"I don't think you should be barking orders with the way you look." Sophia snorted at the pun. "In fact, I think if I wanted to, I could probably drag your little werewolf ass out in the middle of the road and leave you for dead." Stiles ranted, pointing to the sidewalk just outside Derek's door. The older man turned to Stiles, watching him closely. Not quite glaring but not quite just watching either.

"Start the car or I'm gonna rip your throat out… with my teeth." Derek said, slowly and threateningly. Sophia pursed her lips. That'll do it for her. Apparently, more than just Derek's blue eyed Beta form sent arousal shivering through her. Stiles and Derek stared at each other for a moment before Stiles turned back to look through the windshield, starting the Jeep and glancing at Derek once more before he put the Jeep in drive, pulling away from the sidewalk. Derek looked back at the woman and she raised an eyebrow. She watched as his nostrils flared and she could feel not only her face heating up in embarrassment but another wave of arousal. She turned her head to look at the window as they passed by all the different houses, doing her best to ignore the werewolf in the front of the Jeep.

**XXX**

Night had fallen and she was still in the Jeep with Derek and Stiles. The longer they were together in the little confined space the worse Derek was beginning to smell. "What am I supposed to do with him?" Stiles asked and Sophia listened to what the other boy was saying.

'_Take him somewhere. Anywhere!'_

"And by the way, he's starting to smell." Stiles said with a sigh. Derek looked over at Stiles, glaring at the younger boy. Sophia watched silently from the backseat, trying not to focus on the bile-inducing smell.

'_Like what?'_

"Like death." Stiles exaggerated the way he said it and Sophia shook her head at him.

'_Okay. Take him to the animal clinic.'_

"What about your boss?" Stiles asked, glancing back at Sophia. She looked up at him, shrugging her shoulders.

'_He's gone by now. There's a spare key in the box behind the dumpster.' _

"You're not gonna believe where he's telling me to take you." Stiles said while handing the phone to Derek. The older man took the phone, pressing it to his ear. His eyes appeared close, like he was too weak to keep them open.

"Did you find it?" He said, his words starting to slur together.

'_How am I supposed to find one bullet? They have a million! This house like the freaking Walmart of guns!'_

"If you don't find it, then I'm dead, alright?" Derek said, his eyes open a little bit more.

'_I'm starting to think that wouldn't be such a bad thing.'_ Sophia pursed her lips before reaching over the headrest and grabbing the phone, bringing it back with her into the backseat. Derek didn't even fight it; he just let the redhead have her way.

"Okay, Scott. Be nice and find the bullet. You know why we need Derek alive? Because he is the only one that can help you. If he's right, that Alpha is after you and you need someone on your side that can help you. So, here's what you're going to do dear Scotty-boy, you're going to find that bullet so we can keep Mr. Grump alive and then you'll learn how to control this so we can get rid of the Alpha and everyone lives happily ever after. Okay?" Sophia said into the phone, watching as Derek and Stiles both turn to watch her talk into the phone. Before Scott could answer, she hung it up and put it back on the middle console. She took in a deep breath before letting it go and looking up at Stiles. "You know where to go." The other boy sighed and started up his Jeep, heading for the animal clinic.

**XXX**

Stiles parked the Jeep and Sophia hoped out and found the key, unlocking the door and pushing it open so that Derek and Stiles could come in. Stiles phone began ringing as soon as they were inside. Derek sat down on a stack of bagged dog food. Sophia looked at him, with the new amount of light she could see just how pale he truly was. He was covered with a thin layer of sweat. He was in some serious pain if it was making a werewolf sweat like that. Stiles turned to Derek, holding his phone out so that he could read it.

"Does Nordic Blue Monkshood mean anything to you?" The boy asked.

"It's a rare form of wolfsbane. He has to bring me the bullet." Derek said. He was heavily leaning against the wall behind him, clutching his arm above where the bullet wound was.

"Why?" Stiles asked. Sophia rolled her eyes.

"Because he'll die without it." Sophia grabbed a washrag and wet it in the small sink, gently whipping it across his forehead to help wash away some of the sweat. Derek opened his eyes to look up at her, looking grateful.

**XXX**

Stiles lead them into the exam room, Derek using Stiles' shoulder to keep him upright until they were in the room when Stiles shoved him off in order to turn on the lights. Sophia helped Derek out of his shirt before Derek threw his arm on the exam table. The wound was deep and nasty; it was still bleeding slightly and was a nasty shade of crimson. What bothered Sophia the most were the black veins on his arm, extending from his wrist to about mid-bicep. Almost immediately, the girl turned around and began opening drawers, looking for something that they could use as a tourniquet.

"You know, that really doesn't look like anything some Echinacea and a goodnight's sleep couldn't take care of." Stiles said, motioning to Derek's arm, which the older man was currently looking at.

"When the infection reaches my heart, it'll kill me." Derek said, panting even more now that he was while they were just in the Jeep.

"Positivity just isn't in your vocabulary, is it?" Stiles asked and Sophia turned to him, glaring.

"Either help us or don't but please, for right now just be quiet." Sophia pulled out a bright blue tourniquet strap, tying it off around Derek's bicep, just above where the black veins ended.

"Sorry…" Stiles said, shrugging his shoulders and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"If Scott doesn't get here with the bullet in time, last resort…" Derek began, moving around once the tourniquet was on his arm, he was looking for something.

"Which is?" Stiles asked expectantly. Derek pulled out a bone saw and held it up for Stiles and Sophia to see.

"You're going to cut off my arm." Derek said, looking serious and right at Stiles. Sophia thanked every one of her lucky stars for that one. Stiles gaped like a fish and in any other circumstance; she would have found it funny. Derek slid the saw over to Stiles. Sophia watched as the boy turned it on and almost lost it, turning his head in case he threw up.

"Oh my god! What if you bleed to death?" He asked as he set the saw back down on the table.

"It'll heal if it works." Derek said, leaning against the table panting. Stiles sighed and shook his head before looking back up at Derek.

"Look, I don't think I can do this."

"Why not?" Derek asked.

"Well, because of the cutting through the flesh, the sawing of the bone, and especially the blood!" Stiles said to the werewolf. Sophia's brow furrowed and she tilted her head.

"You faint at the sight of blood?" She asked.

"No." Stiles answered. "But I might at the sight of a chopped-off arm!" He yelled the end, looking between Derek and his best friend. Derek sighed and shook his head; much like Stiles had done earlier. Sophia noticed by now that his entire body was covered in sweat, it was getting worse.

"Aright, fine. How about this?" Derek said before looking up at Stiles. "Either you cut off my arm, or I'm gonna cut off your head."

"Never thought I'd see the day when this is a real conversation." Sophia said, glancing between the two males in the room. Stiles rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"Okay, you know, I'm so not buying your threats anymore." Stiles said right before Derek grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him over the table. Stiles changed his tune then. "Oh my god! Okay. Alright, bought, sold, totally, I'll do it. I'll do it." Derek began panting heavily through his nose before he made a gagging noise. "What are you doing?" Stiles asked Derek softly. "What is he doing?" Stiles asked Sophia and the girl shrugged her shoulders. Derek leans over the exam table and vomited. Sophia was what one might call a sympathetic vomiter, a person that once someone else throws up, she throws up. She barely avoided it when she felt the bile rise from her own stomach. "What the hell is that? Don't you do it!" Stiles said with a whine in his voice to Derek before pointing to Sophia, knowing it was coming.

"It's my body; it's trying to heal itself." Derek said, panting from where he was still laying over the side of the table.

"Well, it's not doing a very good job of it." Stiles said, sounding like he was trying not to gag either.

"Now, you gotta do it now." Derek said, looking up at Stiles. Derek tried to stand up before he began leaning to the side, so Sophia gently cupped his head and set it against her chest, right above her heart, letting him listen to her heartbeat. Even though it was a little frantic, she hoped that it would calm him down a little.

"Look, honestly, I don't think I can. Why not Sophia?" Stiles said to Derek, looking at the bone saw on the table.

"Just do it!" Derek yelled at Stiles before he burrowed his head deeper into Sophia's chest, his good arm wrapping around her waist to keep her close.

"Okay! Okay! Alright, here we go." Stiles said, laying the saw on Derek's arm, just below where the tourniquet was tied. They were all prepared for the sound of the saw but they were pleasantly surprised.

"Stiles? Sophie?" Scott's voice rang out in the clinic.

"Scott?" Both Stiles and Sophia asked at once. Scott ran around the corner but paused when he saw the saw on Derek's arm.

"What the hell are you doing?" He yelled at the other boy. Stiles chuckled and set the saw back down on the table.

"Oh, you just prevented a lifetime of nightmares." Stiles said, sound so grateful to the other boy.

"Did you get it?" Derek asked, his head still resting against Sophia's chest even though he turned slightly to look at Scott. Scott pulled it out of his pocket before putting it in Sophia's outstretched hand; she then placed it into Derek's as he pulled away from her to stand up straight. He blinked a couple of times as he lightly swayed where he was standing.

"What are you going to do with it?" Stiles asked.

"I'm gonna…" Derek began before his eyes began to close and his hand suddenly dropped, knocking the bullet to the floor. Scott went after that while Stiles and Sophia checked on Derek.

"Derek? Derek, wake up?" Sophia said, tapping his cheek.

"Scott, what the hell are we going to do?" Stiles asked the other boy.

"I don't know!" He said back from where he was straining trying to get the bullet.

"He's not waking up." Sophia said to them.

"I think he's dying. I think he's dead." Stiles said, looking over at Scott.

"Just hold on." Scott said as he continued to try and get the bullet. "I got it! I got it!" He cried as he stood up.

"Stiles, hit him." Sophia said, looking back at the boy.

"What?!" He squawked in outrage.

"Hit him!" She said, getting out of Stiles way. He sighed, balling up his hand into a fist.

"Please don't kill me for this!" Stiles punched him as hard as he could. "Ow! God!" Stiles began shaking out his fist but it did the trick, Derek was awake again. Derek took the bullet before the three teenagers helped him stand back up against the table. Derek looked at the bullet before pushing it back to his molars and biting off the top of it. He spit it out before over turning it and tapping it a few times on the table, trying to get all of the wolfsbane out of it. The three watched in silence as Derek used a lighter to light it on fire. It lit up like one of those handheld sparklers before tying down. Derek carefully scooped it into his good hand before he took a deep breath and slapped that hand over the wound. He made sure to get the wolsbane in the wound itself. He screamed in pain before falling to the floor. He writhed on the floor, his last screaming mixing with a roar. Quickly, the wound closed up, all of the blood disappeared, the redness went away, and the black veins receded.

"That was awesome!" Stiles said excitedly. Sophia and Scott both looked at him with furrowed brows, the former wondering if he was dropped on his head to many times as a baby.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked Derek.

"Except for the agonizing pain?" Derek said, his voice full of bite and sarcasm. Sophia chuckled.

"Well, I guess since you're full of just sarcastic and witty comebacks it means you're in good health again." Sophia smirked when Derek looked at her with a glare. He pulled the tourniquet off of his arm.

"Okay, we saved your life, which means you're gonna leave us alone. You got that?" Scott said to Derek and Sophia rolled her eyes. "And if you don't, I'm gonna go back to Allison's dad and I'm gonna tell him everything." Scott said and Sophia looked at him.

"You're gonna trust them? You think they can help you?" Derek asked him.

"Why not? They're a lot freaking nice than you are!" Scott said back to the older werewolf.

"Yeah, I can show you exactly how nice they are." Derek said to Scott and the younger boy tilted his head, reminding her of a confused puppy.

"What are you talking about?" He asked but Derek didn't say anything more. The four of them got into the Jeep, driving Derek back to his house so that he could get the Camaro and take Scott wherever they were going.

"Do you want to follow them?" Stiles asked, looking at the girl in the passenger seat. She shook her head, rubbing her eyes.

"No, I just want to go home." Stiles nodded his head, turning his blinker on and driving down the road towards Sophia's house. The girl had had a long day and all she wanted to do was curl up in bed and go to sleep and that was exactly what she did when she made it up to her room.


	5. The Tell

**A/N: This is the shortest chapter so far! Hope you guys are liking the story and thanks for almost 500 views in just a few days! Please review to let me know what you guys think!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia sighed, it was a cold night and here she was, on the roof of the local video store with Derek and Scott. The Alpha had killed someone and then went after Jackson and Lydia. Sophia glanced back when Derek began talking. "Starting to get it?"

"I get that he's killing people, but I don't know why." Scott answered. "I mean, this isn't standard practice, right? We don't go out in the middle of the night murdering everyone, do we?"

"No." Derek answered quietly. "We're predators. We don't have to be killers."

"Then why is he a killer?" Scott asked, turning to look back at Derek and Sophia.

"That's what we're going to find out." Derek said as he began walking away from the two teenagers. He let his eyes linger of Sophia a moment longer than Scott. She was different. He was sure of that. He didn't know what made her different but here she was, on the roof with him and Scott. She was able to keep up with them when no one else should really be able to, especially not Stiles. She'd managed to stump him and he didn't like that.

**XXX**

They ended up back at Derek's place and as soon as they entered and began making their way up the stairs, Scott began. "You know, I have a life, too."

"No, you don't." Derek answered and Sophia snorted and pretended to cough to cover it when Scott turned back to her.

"Yes, I do!" Scott insisted, turning back to Derek. "I don't care what you say about him making me his pet or…"

"Part of his pack." Derek corrected.

"Whatever. I have homework to do." Scott said, sounding tired. "I have to go to a parent/teacher conference tomorrow because I'm failing chemistry."

"You wanna do homework? Or do you wanna not die?" Sophia pursed her lips, trying not to smile at the unusual level of sass in Derek's last question. Scott sighed. "You have less than a week until the full moon. You don't kill with him, he kills you." Scott stopped pacing and looked at the older wolf.

"Okay, seriously, who made up these rules?" Scott asked, throwing his hands out to the side.

"It's a rite of passage into his pack." Derek answered.

"You know what else is a rite of passage? Graduating from high school!" Sophia nodded her head at Scott's statement, pointing to the boy. "And you don't have to kill anyone to do it!" Derek sighed silently and waited for Scott to finish. "Why can't you just find him yourself? Why can't you just sniff him out when he's a human?"

"Because his human scent could be entirely different." Derek answered as if Scott should have already known the answer to that question. "It has to be you. You have a connection with him, a like that you can't understand. If I can teach you to control your abilities, you can find him."

"So if I help you, you can stop him?" Scott asked quietly.

"Not alone. We're stronger in numbers." Derek explained. "A pack makes the individual more powerful."

"How am I supposed to help if I have no idea what I'm doing?"

"Because I'm going to teach you. Do you remember what happened that first night you were shot in the arm? Right after you were hit?"

"Yeah, I changed back."

"Mmm-hmm. And when you were hit by his car, same thing, right?" Derek asked, slowly walking down the steps towards Scott and a silent Sophia. "What's the common denominator?" He asked, now standing right in front of the pair. Scott shrugged his shoulders, not really understanding what Derek was trying to tell him. Derek reached down and grabbed Scott's wrist, slowly squeezing it to the breaking point. Scott groaned and fell to his knees. Sophia's vision flashed red as her chest began to vibrate with a growl that she was working extremely hard to keep tucked down.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Scott yelled at the man.

"It'll heal." Derek said it with such calmness that it squashed down the growl and left her a little confused.

"It still hurts." Scott growled at the other man.

"And that's what keeps you human." Derek said as he turned around to look at Scott and Sophia once again. "Pain." Scott's wrist healed, allowing him to move all of his fingers again. "Maybe you will survive." Sophia rolled her eyes.

**XXX**

Sophia sighed, deciding to skip the day. Since she had all A's in her classes, her parents actually accepted it. She worked on a few projects that weren't going to be due until the end of the semester when her phone went off. It was a text from Derek to meet her at his place. She sighed as she weighed her options. He was probably going to bug her and say she isn't human again. She glanced down at the projects; she needed a break so she packed up her stuff and ran up to her room to get dressed. She put on a pair of dark gray, stone-washed jeans, black ankle boots, a black tank top, and her own three-quartered sleeved leather jacket. She decided to run to Derek's place this time, let her get out and stretch her legs.

**XXX**

She didn't even bother knocking when she got to Derek's. She knew that not only did he know she was coming but he knew her scent by now so it shouldn't have been a surprise when she walked in.

"What do you want Derek?" She asked to the quiet house.

"I want to know what you are." The man said from behind the girl and she managed to suppress the urge to jump away from his suddenly close voice. She turned to him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She said and Derek growled softly.

"I know you're not human. You're scent is off. You can keep up with me and Scott easily. I know you aren't human, the only problem I'm having is trying to figure out what you are." The man said, stepping into her face. He smelled with pine and leather, it was quickly becoming Sophia's new favorite smell… not that she would ever tell anyone that.

"Well… I don't know why because **I am human.**" She spoke like she was talking to a child and the man glared. She glared back before she turned to walk right back out the door.

"You're not leaving." He said, grabbing a hold of her arm. She turned and glared even harder at him.

"Why not?" She asked.

"Because you're not." He said and Sophia sighed, throwing her arms in the air.

"Yes, because that is the perfect reason to listen to you. All you have to do is repeat what you want and I'll stay because apparently, I have nothing better to do with my time! I mean… I'm not trying to do homework or anything since I took the day off. And here's something else…" The redhead ranted for a moment before it faded out, Derek had taken off his shirt and began doing pull-ups in the doorframe. Sophia pursed her lips, a habit she realized she was developing from being around all of the crazy people. "I'm staying because I want to, not because you asked me." Sophia said as she sat down on the steps to watch Derek continuing to work out. She didn't notice the man smirk as he continued his workout. She had never noticed the Triskelion tattoo on his back, between his shoulder blades. Well… Derek just went from a 15 to a 20 on the Sophia's hotness scale. He dropped down from his pull-ups into push-ups, starting out with them being two handed before switching to one handed, the other hand coming up to rest on the small of his back. 20 to 30 and she was pretty sure she was just reeking pheromones that this point… stupid Derek.

The man paused, looking at the door Sophia only had a moment to train her hearing before he was up and grabbing her. They hid in a dark corner of the house, away from the front door, even though they could still see it. A woman and two men. Sophia wasn't sure who the men were but she was pretty sure that the woman was Kate Argent, Allison's aunt that Scott was telling her about.

"No one home?" One of the men asked.

"Oh, he's here. He's just not feeling particularly hospitable." Kate said to the man.

"Maybe he's out burying a bone in the backyard." The other man said and Sophia rolled her eyes. Dog jokes? Really?

"Really? A dog joke?" Kate asked. Well, that was probably the only thing she and Kate would ever have in common. Derek kneeled in front of her, watching the three of them. "We're going there and that's the best you got? If you wanna provoke him, say something like, "too bad your sister 'bit it' before she had her first litter."" Kate said and Sophia could feel Derek vibrating under the hand she had on his arm. "Too bad she howled like a bitch when we cut her in half!" Kate yelled and suddenly, Derek was gone but not before a quick, 'stay here' was thrown her way. Derek roared and knocked on of the hunters out. He made quick work of the second one before going for Kate. She pulled a stick off of her belt and let it extend. Derek charged her, only for the blonde to sidestep and hit him with the stick. It shocked him bad, he fell to the ground and just writhed there, groaning. "Wow." Kate said as she slowly walked around Derek.

Sophia found herself breathing deeply, taking in the scent of the burnt wood of the house, Derek's leather scent laced with pain, and something that she knew was only Kate Argent. The redhead looked around before moving her position when Kate's back was turned. She hid behind another wall, a little closer to the action so she could clearly hear what was going on. "This one grew up in all the right places." Kate said and Sophia could feel her chest cavity vibrating. "I don't know whether to kill it or lick it." Derek rolled over enough to glare at the woman and Sophia's vision flickered between color and red before a growl finally left her chest, coming from deep in her throat. She watched Kate walk around Derek as the man tried to get up, to move away from the woman. He managed to get to the couch and start to get onto his feet when she zapped him again, knocking him back down. He growled as he rolled to land in front of the wall Sophia was hiding behind. Kate laughed, lifting up the stick, watching the electricity dance across it.

"900,000 volts." She sighed, looking at Derek as he curled in on himself. "You never were good with electricity, were you?" She asked. "Or fire." She chuckled. "Which is why I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. And, well, maybe we can help each other out. Yes, your sister was severed into pieces and used as bait to try to catch you. Unpleasant and frankly, a little too _Texas Chainsaw Massacre _for my taste, but quite true." Kate chuckled. Derek leaned up against the wall where Sophia was and the woman saw a small hole right where his tattoo was. She reached through it and felt his warm, slightly sweat soaked, back. She pulled small amounts of the pain as Kate continued to talk, not enough that he would know she was doing it, but enough to help him get back on his feet in case they needed to make a quick getaway. "Now, here's the part that might really kick you in your balls. We didn't kill her." Derek remained silent; he must've been glaring at her. "You think I'm lying?" She asked.

"Wouldn't be the first time…" Derek said, still sounding pained.

"Sweetie…" Kate said after clicking her tongue at him. "Well, why don't you just listen to my heart and tell me if I am. Okay?" Sophia tried to hold back the growl she knew was coming. She didn't want the woman anywhere near her or Derek. "We… didn't… kill… your sister." Kate whispered and much to her despair, much like Derek's own, she was telling the truth. There were no upticks or stutters in her heartbeat. She could hear Kate get up and move away from Derek and put her stick away. Sophia siphoned a little more pain from Derek as the woman continued to talk. Kate wanted to know who the Alpha was and told Derek that if he told her, they would kill him. Sounded like a solid plan to Sophia, the only problem was… they had no idea who he was. Sophia quietly shuffled to the edge of the wall, listening to the silence that enveloped the room. "Unless, you don't know who he is either." Kate said, realization shining through her voice. She laughed. "Wow. Guess who just became totally useless?" Sophia moved quickly, coming around the wall and grabbing Derek's arm, pulling him up and running out the door. Kate fired off a multiple rounds as they made it to the porch and jumped down, running through the woods, away from the house. Sophia slowed to a stop when she heard Derek do the same thing. Derek looked hurt for a moment before he became angry.

"Come on." Sophia said, nudging Derek's arm before she began walking.

"Where?" Derek asked, slowly following behind the girl.

"I'm taking you to my house. My parents are gone for the Parent/Teacher conference and shouldn't be back until late." Sophia said, walking around a tree and jumping a small ditch.

"Why are you helping me?" Derek asked.

"Because you need it. I'm not just letting you mosey around with Kate and the Argents after you. You can hang out in the spare bedroom. It's not like they come upstairs for any reason but to talk to me anyway." Sophia said as she came to the main road, looking both ways before following it down. She trained her hearing behind her; she could hear the man following her from within the tree line. She couldn't help but smile to herself.


	6. Heart Monitor

**A/N: Please fave, follow, and review! I really appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia walked up behind her best friends, looping her arms through theirs as they walked down the hall. They both offered her a small smile before Scott continued talking to Stiles. "That's what he means when he says he doesn't know if he can teach me. I have to be able to control it."

"Who?" Sophia asked, looking at the both of them.

"Derek." They said at the same time and she nodded.

"Well, how's he going to teach you to do that?" Stiles asked.

"I don't know. I don't think he does either." Scott answered.

"Okay. When are you seeing him again?" Stiles asked Scott again, looking over at him.

"Just told me not to talk about it. Just act normal and get through the day." Scott said.

"When?" Sophia asked, pulling them both to a stop before unlooping their arms.

"He's picking me up at the animal clinic after work." Scott said, looking from Sophia to Stiles.

"After work." Sophia said thoughtfully.

"Alright, well, that gives us to the end of the school day then." Stiles said, putting his hand on his pocket. Scott looked between his two friends confused.

"To do what?" He asked.

"To teach you." Sophia said, grabbing their arms as she began walking again.

**XXX**

Sophia listened in to Allison tell Lydia the history of her family before the younger redhead went off to her next class. Stiles was eating his lunch and Scott was hiding behind a book. Stiles finally put his hand on the top of the book so that he could tip it down and look at Scott.

"I think the book's making it more obvious." He said before looking over his shoulder at Allison. "Besides, she is reading, anyway." Scott looked over the top of his book, still staying hidden behind it somewhat.

"So did you come up with a plan yet?" Scott asked the two of them.

"I think so." Stiles said, looking up at him before taking a bite of his apple.

"Does that mean you don't hate me now?" Scott asked. Once Stiles explained what happened, Sophia understood why he wasn't talking to Scott. Apparently, when a real Mountain Lion was prowling the parking lot, Stiles' dad had gotten hit by a car as it was backing up. Stiles apparently needed to pin the blame on someone and since Scott has the enhanced senses, it happened to be him.

"No." Stiles said. "But your crap has infiltrated my life, as well as Sophia's, so now I have to do something about it. Plus I'm definitely a better Yoda than Derek." Sophia chuckled into her soda.

"Okay, yeah, you teach me." Scott said.

"Yeah, I'll be your Yoda."

"Yeah, you be my Yoda."

"Your Yoda I will be." Stiles said in a Yoda impression. Sophia turned her head away, her shoulders shaking in silent laughter. "I said it backwards."

"Yeah, I know." Scott said to him.

"Alright, you know what? I definitely still hate you. Uh-huh. Oh yeah." Stiles grabbed all of his stuff before getting up and leaving the locker room. Sophia and Scott grabbed their stuff, following the boy out of the cafeteria.

**XXX**

Sophia was at the lacrosse field when Stiles and Scott finally showed up. "About time." She said, standing up from the bleachers to walk to them.

"Sorry." Stiles said before setting his own lacrosse bag down. "Okay. Now… put this on." Stiles held out one of the heart monitors the school uses for the track team.

"Isn't this one of the heart rate monitors for the track team?" Scott asked, taking it from Stiles' hand.

"Yeah, I borrowed it." He said and Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"Stole it." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Temporarily misappropriated." Stiles said. "Coach uses it to monitor his heart rate with his phone while he jogs, and you're gonna wear it for the rest of the day."

"You know misappropriated still means stole right?" Sophia asked, looking down at Stiles as he was sitting. The younger boy shrugged his shoulders.

"Isn't that coach's phone?" Scott asked, looking at the phone in Stiles' hands.

"That, I stole." Sophia chuckled as she shook her head.

"Why?" She and Scott asked at the same time.

"Alright, well, your heart rate goes up when you go wolf, right?" Stiles asked. "When you're playing lacrosse, when you're with Allison, whenever you get angry. Maybe learning to control it is tied to learning to control your heart rate." Stiles explained.

"Like the Incredible Hulk." Scott said.

"Kind of like the Incredible Hulk, yeah." Stiles answers.

"If that was the analogy we needed to make I feel like we could have save a lot more time." The girl said, sitting beside Stiles and crossing her legs as she leaned on them.

"No, I'm like the Incredible Hulk…"

"Would you shut up and put the strap on?" Stiles interrupted Scott and Sophia shook her head. Scott hooked it around his torso.

**XXX**

Sophia grabbed her lacrosse stick and set out some balls on the ground as Stiles tapped Scott's hands together behind his back. "You ready?" She asked as she put a ball in the net of her stick.

"No." Scott said unsure.

"Remember, don't get angry." Stiles said, coming to stand beside her. Stiles turned the heart monitor app on.

"I'm starting to think this was a really bad idea." Scott said and Sophia chuckled.

"This is Stiles' plan; of course it's a bad idea." Stiles squawked beside her in outrage and she laughed. Stiles threw the first ball, hitting Scott in the stomach. Sophia threw one, hitting him in the hip. Scott groaned as he doubled over before standing up. _115._ Stiles laughs as he picked up another ball, Sophia doing the same. He threw it, hitting Scott in the face and Sophia couldn't help but laugh. She threw her ball, hitting him in the back.

"Okay, that one kinda hurt." Scott said.

"Quiet. Remember, you're supposed to be thinking about your heart rate, alright?" Stiles said, picking up another ball. "About staying calm." Stiles threw the ball and it missed. Sophia grabbed one, throwing it and hitting him in the thigh.

"Stay calm. Staying calm. Staying totally calm. There's no balls flying at my face…" Scott said to himself. Stiles' next ball hit Scott in the shoulder. Sophia's was in the other shoulder, Stiles' next one in the hip, and Sophia's in the stomach. Stiles laughed and high-fived Sophia.

"You know what? I think my aim is actually improving." Stiles said.

"Wonder why." Scott said, getting ready for the next ball. Sophia glanced down. _130._

"Don't get angry." She said, picking up another ball. For the next few minutes, this continued on until the heart monitor started beeping continuously. _164._

"Scott…" Stiles called hesitantly. Sophia dropped her stick and ran over to kneel in front of the other boy. She could hear his heartbeat pounding.

"You need to calm down Scott." She said, putting her hands on both of his shoulders. The boy grabbed her wrist, slowly crushing the bones but she didn't move away and slowly, his grip began to loosen. Stiles made his way over carefully.

"Scott, you started to change." Stiles said as he knelt down next to Sophia. Scott rolled onto his side, trying to calm his breathing down.

"From anger. But it was more than that. It was like, the angrier I got, the stronger I felt." Scott said to them.

"So it is anger, then. Derek's right." Stiles said and Sophia wanted to scoff, Derek wasn't totally right.

"I can't be around Allison." Scott said.

"Just because she makes you happy?" Stiles asked.

"No, because she makes me weak." Scott said and Sophia managed to stop the growl at the last second. She was going to kill Derek.

**XXX**

They made their way back into the locker room to put their lacrosse gear up. "Alright, so you stay away from her for a few days. You can do that." Stiles said as they made their way over to his locker, they had already dropped all of Sophia's stuff in hers.

"But is it a few days, or is it forever?" Scott asked.

"You know, this whole "women make you weak" thing is a little too Spartan warrior for me." Stiles said, leaning against his locker and Sophia patted him on the chest before she sat down on the bench. "It's probably just a part of the learning process."

"Yeah, but you've seen Derek. I mean, the guy's totally alone." Scott said.

"Yeah and because of that he's an antisocial prick with no social skills." Sophia said, picking at a string on her shirt. Stiles laughed but Scott just sighed.

"What if I can, like, never be around her again?" He asked his friends.

"Well, if you're not dead, that could be a good thing." Stiles said.

"I'd rather be dead." Scott said quietly.

"You're not going to end up like Derek; we're going to figure this out." Sophia said, standing up and putting a hand on Scott's back.

"Okay." Scott said quietly.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Stiles said. Scott grabbed his book bag.

"Something smells terrible in here, anyway." Scott said and Sophia chuckled. Oh, she knew.

"Really? In a boys' locker room? That doesn't make any sense at all." Stiles said as they made their way towards the door.

"No, it's like something's rotting or dying." Scott said and Sophia's brow furrowed as she took in a deep breath. He was right. Under the all-natural boy stink, there was the smell of death and decay. She had never noticed it before.

**XXX**

Sophia tried not to sprint through the halls after class, she was in tuned to Scott's and Stiles' heartbeats after all the years they'd spent together. So when she heard Scott's quickly rising, she knew she had to find him. She saw Stiles and Scott standing in the halls together. She walked over to them, her brow furrowing when she finally tuned her hearing into their conversation. "You're thinking about sex right now, aren't you?" Stiles asked Scott.

"Yeah, sorry." Scott said with a goofy smile on his face and Sophia rolled her eyes.

"That's fine. Look, back in the classroom when she was holding your hand, that was different, okay?" Stiles tried to explain. They were finally figuring out anchors. "I don't think she makes you weak. I think she actually gives you control. She's kind of like an anchor." Sophia wanted to dance. She just wanted to tell Scott everything there was to know but she knew she had to let him figure it out on his own. This was one of those things.

"You mean because I love her." Scott said and Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly." Stiles said. Scott paused, just standing there.

"Did I just say that?" He asked and Sophia nodded her head.

"Yes, you just said that." She said, looking at the boy. He smiled.

"I love her." He said again.

"That's great. Now, moving on…" Stiles began.

"I think I'm totally in love with her." Scott said, looking at his best friends.

"And that's beautiful. Now before you go off and write a sonnet, can we figure this out, please?" Stiles asked. "Because you obviously can't be around her all the time."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry. So what do I do?" Scott asked. Stiles sighed.

"I don't know. Yet." He said and Sophia tilted her head, pursing her lips, and dancing on the balls of her feet. She didn't even realize it when she was younger, but that was her idea dance. Usually when she got an idea, she was subconsciously dance.

"Oh no. You're getting an idea, aren't you?" Scott asked as Stiles turned to look at the girl.

"Oh yeah." She said with a smirk.

"Is this idea gonna get me in trouble?" He asked.

"Maybe." She shrugged her shoulders, smirk still firmly in place.

"Is this idea going to cause me physical pain?" He asked again.

"Yeah, definitely. Come on." She said with a chuckle. Stiles and Scott looked at each other before following the redhead to the parking lot.

**XXX**

Sophia licked her lips as she looked around, finding the vehicle she was looking for. She nudged Stiles' arm. "You're with me." She said before turning to Scott.

"What're we doing?" Scott asked, nervously.

"Hold on." She said, stopping and turning to the younger boy. "Do you have your keys?" She asked. Scott pulled them out of his hoodie pocket. "Perfect. Hold 'em up like so." She position Scott's hand so that it was by his head and you could clearly see that he was holding one key up. She glanced back at the truck before looking back at Scott. "Now, whatever happens, just think about Allison. Try to find her voice like you did at the game. Got it?" She said and Scott nodded her head. "Just keep holding it there." She said before looping her arm through Stiles' and beginning to walk towards the truck. She didn't bother taking out her own keys, not like either boy would notice. She felt her fingertips tingle and she places on along the side of the truck, listening as she effectively 'keyed' the side of the truck. She stopped when they were a few feet away from the back of the truck, turning towards Scott before nudging Stiles with her shoulder. He had immediately gotten the plan. Great minds think alike they say. Scott looked shocked.

"Hey, hey, hey, dude!" Stiles yelled to Scott, getting the guys attention. Sophia put a hand over her mouth, playing the part of the shocked girl. "What do you think you're doing to that truck, bro!" The guy turned and saw the marks in his truck, immediately going towards Scott. He was a big boy. Scott shook his head, putting his keys back into his pocket before he was punched in the face.

"Oh God!" Sophia said, covering her face.

"Wow…" Stiles said.

"Well, at least he'll be mad at me and not you this time." Sophia said and Stiles nodded. Scott then proceeded to fight the guy. Sophia looked down at the phone in Stiles' hand. _100._

"Stay calm. Stay calm." Stiles said before the guy's friends joined in. "Oh, that's not okay." The boy said. _130._

"Come on Scotty." Sophia said, clasping her hands together. Harris, the _**evil**_chemistry teacher came and broke up the fight.

"What do you think you idiots are doing?" He asked the three of them and Sophia raised an eyebrow at him. Stiles held up the phone, smiling at Scott. _67._

**XXX**

Detention. Are you serious?!

Sophia sat behind the boys, doodling in a notebook as she waited for this hell on Earth to be over. Scott tried to get out of detention, saying he had to go to work but Harris didn't say anything. Scott looked over his shoulder at Sophia.

"You knew I would heal." He said and she nodded her head.

"Yep."

"So you did that to help me learn?" He asked.

"Yep."

"But partially to punish me."

"Yeah." She had done that one for Stiles.

"That one's obvious." Stiles said. Scott and Stiles then had a bonding moment before Harris told them they could leave. They gathered their things and left.

**XXX**

"Are you shitting me?" Sophia asked herself as she pulled into the parking lot of the school behind Stiles' Jeep that night. She had just gotten home when Scott had texted her saying that he needed her and Stiles later, something about Derek knowing who the Alpha was. She cut the engine to the Challenger before getting out, walking over. A second later, Derek's Camaro pulled up behind the Challenger.

"Where's my boss?" Scott asked.

"He's in the back." Derek said, closing the driver's side door. Both boys looked in, Sophia glared at Derek.

"Oh, he looks comfortable." Stiles said.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Derek called to the two of them. Sophia leaned against the passenger side door of the Camaro.

"You said I was linked with the Alpha. I'm gonna see if you're right." He said as he and Stiles went up the stairs and the school. A few minutes after the boys had left; Derek leaned on the car next to Sophia. She heard the PA system kick on before a horrible, shrill howl filled the air. It sounded like a cat being choked to death.

"You've got to be kidding me." Derek said, looking around before locking eyes with Sophia. The woman rolled them, running her fingers through her hair before crossing her arms back over her chest. A few moments later, a real howl filled the air, causing Sophia and Derek to look around before they realized the sound was coming from the school.

"Well… that's better." She said, trying not to let her eyes change in front of Derek.

**XXX**

"I'm going to kill both of you." Derek said, pointing at them when they came down from the school. "What the hell was that?!" Derek almost yelled at them. "What are you trying to do, attract the entire state to the school?"

"Sorry. I didn't know it would be that loud." Scott said, not really sorry. Sophia placed a hand on her forehead, rubbing her temples.

"Yeah, it was loud. And it was awesome!" Stiles said.

"Shut up." Sophia and Derek said together, Sophia never lifting her head from her hand.

"Don't be such a sour-wolf." Stiles said and Sophia chuckled.

"I like that." She said, finally lifting her head.

"What did you do with him?" Scott asked, looking into the window of the Camaro.

"What?" Derek asked as he and Sophia turned to look into the window. Deaton was gone and the driver's side door was open.

"I didn't do anything." Derek said, turning back to them. Suddenly, blood began pouring out of Derek's mouth before he was lifted into the air. Stiles and Scott ran towards the school but before Sophia could move, the Alpha threw Derek into Sophia, both of them hitting the brick wall of the school before falling to the ground. She could feel her head split open and blood begin pouring down the back of her neck before her vision went black, leaning on Derek as she slumped to the ground.


	7. Lunatic

**A/N: Thank you so much for everyone who has read this story! It means a lot to me that you guys like it enough to read it and wait for new chapters! This isn't the best chapter written but this was a hard chapter for me. The bolded areas are text messages, just so you know, I thought it would be a little easier to read them than to just throw them in. Please review, fave, and follow!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia woke up with a start. The last thing she remembered was her head pounding as the Alpha threw her and Derek into a wall. She reached for her phone quickly, looking at the date. It was only the next day and it was a school day, maybe she would stay home. She did notice that she was up early enough that she could get dressed and go to school. She sighed before she got out of bed. She glanced through her contacts, finding Derek's number.

_**To Hale (6:14 am)**_

_**Are you okay?**_

She sent the text before walking over to her mirror, she looked completely normal, like she was just attacked by a crazy Alpha the night before. She walked to the closet and pulled out her clothes for school. Scott and Stiles were probably worried about her, thinking the Alpha had killed her. Her phone buzzed from her bed so she set her clothes aside to go check it.

_**From Hale (6:15 am)**_

_**Fine. How are you even awake?**_

She snorted. He still thought she was human.

_**To Hale (6:17 am)**_

_**It's called not having a concussion. You broke my fall. Thanks for that by the way.**_

She threw the phone down on the bed and got dressed quickly. She put on a black tank top with one of Stiles' plaid shirts as an over shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She put on a pair of blue jean shorts and a pair of black leather ankle boots. She smiled when her mom came into the room, telling her breakfast was ready. She finished putting on her shoes before her phone went off again.

_**From Hale (6:35 am)**_

_**We need to talk. NOW. No more lies. No more games.**_

She snorted again and rolled her eyes. Who's really telling lies and playing games here?

_**To Hale (6:36 am)**_

_**No one is playing games here but you. You could actually teach Scott what he needs to know.**_

_**To Hale (6:37 am)**_

_**I have school. I might have time for you later. You'll learn eventually.**_

She locked her phone, put it in her back pocket, and went down the stairs, grabbing breakfast before getting in the car and heading to school. She pulled into the parking lot before checking her phone one last time.

_**From Hale (7:05 am)**_

_**Fine. Have a good day.**_

Sophia tilted her head, that was kind of a weird reply from Derek. She sighed before getting out of the car and making her way into the school and going to her first class. Halfway through class, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She slipped it out, looking at it.

_**From Stiles; Scott (7:14 am)**_

_**Are you at school?**_

_**To Stiles; Scott (7:15 am)**_

_**I am, I'm in homeroom.**_

_**From Stiles; Scott (7:15 am)**_

_**Good! We were worried.**_

_**To Stiles; Scott (7:16 am)**_

_**Nothing to worry about.**_

Sophia smiled at her friends concern before setting her phone down on her lap. Class continued on before her phone went off again. She raised an eyebrow at it before looking down at it once more.

_**From Stiles (7:35)**_

_**Scott, AWOL. Need help.**_

Sophia raised her hand and asked to use the bathroom. She got the pass before running down the hallway, seeing Stiles standing there with Scott's backpack. "Hey." She said when she was close enough.

"Hey." He said before pulling his phone out of his pocket and calling Scott. They could hear his phone ringing a short distance away. Stiles looked at Sophia, who nodded before they decided to follow it. It leads them to the locker room. They could hear the water running as they slowly crept closer. Stiles sighs when he sees Scott under the water. Scott turned to look at them, panting heavily.

"I can't…" He began.

"What's happening? Are you changing?" Stiles asked, ready to jump into action.

"No. No, I can't breathe." Scott said. He was wheezing and choking now that Sophia listened. It was almost like when he had asthma but more like when Stiles used to have panic attacks. Sophia reached into Scott's bag and pulled out his inhaler. She held it out to the boy.

"Here, use this." She said. He just looked at her so she pushed it into his hands. "Come on." He did one spray and the gasping and choking slowly faded away, he began to breath normally again. He looked at Stiles and Sophia.

"I was having an asthma attack?" He asked.

"No, you were having a panic attack. But thinking you were having an asthma attack actually stopped the panic attack. Irony." Stiles said and Sophia shook her head softly.

"How did you know how to do that?" Scott asked Sophia. The girl put her hands in her pockets.

"Stiles used to get them after his mom died." She said, leaning her head against the other boy's shoulder.

"Yeah, not fun." Stiles said, leaning some of his weight onto the redhead beside him.

"I looked at her and it was like someone hit me in the ribs with a hammer." Scott said, trying to explain how he felt and apparently why he had had the panic attack.

"Yeah, it's called heartbreak." Sophia said, shrugging her shoulders and trying to get even closer to Stiles.

"About two billion songs are written about it." Stiles said, lightly shrugging his own shoulders as not to dislodge the girl leaning on him.

"I can't stop thinking about her." Scott said, running his fingers through his wet hair.

"Well, you could think about this, her dad's a werewolf hunter and you're a werewolf, so it was bound to become an issue." Stiles said and Sophia nudged him in the ribs with a slight glare.

"That wasn't helpful." She said softly. "You got dumped and it's supposed to suck." Sophia said to Scott.

"No, that's not it." Scott said, shaking his head. "It was like I could feel everything in the room, everyone else's emotions." Stiles shrugged harder this time, actually pushing Sophia off of him and the girl snorted slightly as she took a step back from him.

"It's got to be the full moon. So we'll lock you up in your room later just like we planned." Stiles said, motioning between the three of them. "That way the Alpha, who is your boss, can't get to you, either."

"I think we need to do a lot more than lock me in my room." Scott said, looking up at them.

"What? You mean because if you get out you'd be caught by hunters?" Stiles asked and Scott shook his head.

"Because if I get out, I think I might kill someone." Scott said, walking closer to his friends.

**XXX**

Sophia gathered around with the other boys when Finstock came into the locker room. She sat beside Stiles. "Alright geniuses, listen up. Due to the recent pinkeye epidemic, thank you Greenberg, the following people gave made first line on a probationary basis. Emphasis on the word "probationary." Rodriquez, Taylor, and uh… oh, for the love of crap. I can't even read my own writing." Finstock said as he struggled to read the paper. Sophia glanced at Stiles next to her and wrapped her hand up in his practice jersey to keep him from falling into the floor. "And Bilinski." Stiles looked up and Sophia quickly stood as he jumped up and began cheering. Sophia chuckled and hugged Stiles. He sat back down when coach told him to.

"Stiles." Scott said to the other boy.

"Call me Biles or I swear to God I'll kill you." Sophia chuckled.

"Another thing. From here on out, immediately, we're switching to co-captains. Congratulations McCall." Sophia leaned over Stiles, smiling at the other boy before putting her hand on his shoulder, and shaking him a bit. He looked up at Sophia and Stiles surprised. Jackson was pissed but Sophia couldn't help but smile at her boys, they were all on the field with her now. Sophia grabbed her stick, helmet, and gloves before she began to walk out the door. She could hear Stiles talking to Scott.

"Dude, can you believe this?" Stiles asked. "You're a captain. I'm first line. Sophia's first line. I'm freaking first line!" Stiles said laughing. Sophia chuckled, throwing an arm around his shoulder as they made their way out to the field.

**XXX**

Scott had switched jerseys and then he and Stiles had met Sophia in the hallway. "Are you not freaking out? I'm freaking out." Stiles said to Scott, high-fiving Sophia when he got close enough.

"What's the point? It's just a stupid title. And I could practically smell the jealousy in there." Scott said, looking straight ahead as they walked. Sophia made a noise of agreement, it was suffocating in there. Stiles laid a hand on Scott's shoulder to stop him from walking.

"Wait, you smell jealousy?" He asked, turning Scott towards him.

"Yeah, it's like the full moon's turned everything up to 10." Scott said.

"Huh." Stiles made a face and Sophia almost rolled her eyes. She knew it was coming. Stiles' random and weird question of the day. "Can you pick up on stuff like, I don't know, desire?" She raised an eyebrow, right she was.

"What do you mean, desire?" Scott asked with the smallest smirk on his face.

"Like sexual desire?" Stiles explained further.

"Sexual desire?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, sexual desire." Stiles said back and Sophia shook her head before tying her hair back in a ponytail. "Lust, passion, arousal." Sophia covered her mouth when Stiles rolled his tongue through the word 'arousal.' Scott rolled his eyes, looking out the door.

"From Lydia?" Scott asked.

"What? No, in a general, broad sense, can you determine sexual desire?" Stiles asked, trying to cover his tracks. Scott watched his friend for a moment.

"From Lydia to you?" He asked again.

"Fine, yes. From Lydia to me." Stiles said as he caved. "Look, I need to know if I have a chance with this girl, okay?" Stiles said, looking at Lydia. Sophia looked at her friends. Lydia was, no offense to Stiles, so far out of his league it was never gonna happen but the boy was in denial and nothing was going to stop him from trying. "I've been obsessing over her since the third freaking grade."

"Why don't you just ask her?" Sophia asked, putting her hands on her hips and drawing their attention to her.

"Well, to save myself utterly crushing humiliation. Thank you, Sophia." Her green eyes were trained on Stiles for a moment before he turned to Scott. "Please, can you just go up and ask her if she likes me?" Scott rolled his eyes and Stiles shrugged his shoulders, which looked comical with the shoulder pads on. "See if her heartbeat rises or pheromones come out."

"Fine." Scott said, tired of the ridicules argument apparently.

"I love you. I love you." Stiles called after Scott. He turned to Sophia, pointing to their best friend. "I love him." She rolled her eyes, patting him on the back.

"I see that." Scott and Lydia walked out of sight. They were also out of Sophia's sense of hearing. "Come on. Let's go." Sophia said, picking up all of her stuff and making her way to the field. A few minutes later, Scott came and sat down, Stiles immediately questioning him. "In fact, she's totally into you." Scott's heart was blipping all over the place. She looked over at the other boy, an unusual smile on his face. Well, we were just going to have to get down to the bottom of this one.

**XXX**

Practice began as normal but almost right away, Scott got clobbered. The girl shook her head. Scott blocked Stiles from going his turn and did it again. This time, taking out all of the other players that were blocking, including Danny who was the goalie. "Danny!" Jackson and Sophia called at the same time, the girl coming out of the line and running over to her friend. Stiles came up behind her and she grabbed his jersey to pull him down, a yelp leaving his lips. "Go get McCall and find out what the hell is going on before I do." Stiles nodded quickly, making his way over to the other boy. Sophia got up when the medics got there to check Danny and as she stood, even with all of the blood pumping into her ears, she could hear the uptick in Lydia's heartbeat and immediately, Scott's strange behavior made sense.

She was going to kill him.

**XXX**

Sophia went home after practice, Stiles said he didn't need her help with Scott so she didn't worry about it. She threw her bag down, said hi to her parents and told them to call her when dinner was ready, before going up to her room. She sat down on her bed, pulling out her phone from her pocket.

_**To Stiles (8:34 pm)**_

_**How are things with Scotty?**_

She sent the text and waited for a reply. Shortly after that, she was called down to dinner. She told her parents about practice and about how strange Scott was acting. Her father said it's probably just puberty, causing her and her mother to laugh. Her phone vibrated in her pocket briefly before she pulled it out and read the text.

_**From Stiles (9:06 pm)**_

_**Well… not how I pictured it. :'(**_

Sophia tilted her head, typing out a message before sending it.

_**To Stiles (9:07 pm)**_

_**What? What's going on? Do I need to come over?**_

_**From Stiles (9:08 pm)**_

_**No, I think we got it under control but I'll let you know.**_

_**To Stiles (9:09 pm)**_

_**Alright… just be safe.**_

_**From Stiles (9:10 pm)**_

_**Always**_

Sophia locked her phone before putting it back in her pocket, finishing off the last of her dinner before making her way back to her room with the rouse of having to do homework, even though she did it all before coming home. She turned on her computer and turned on Netflix, watching whatever caught her attention.

_**From Stiles (9:35 pm)**_

_**He's gone! 911! Scott's gone!**_

Sophia closed her laptop and jumped out of the bed. She slipped her shoes back on before calmly walking down the stairs. "Mom, dad! Stiles and Scott need my help on a project. I didn't have much homework so I just finished it. I'm gonna head over there."

"Alright sweetie, just let us know if you're staying the night." Her mom said, peeking out from the kitchen. Sophia smiled; her parents were really cool about her staying over at Scott's or Stiles' place. They'd been friends for so long that they figured if anything was going to happen, it would have happened by now.

"I will." She said, grabbing the keys to the Challenger and walking out the door. As soon as it was shut, she got into her car and took off, trying not to peel out as she made her way towards Scott's house. Stiles' Jeep was gone from the driveway so Sophia continued driving until she finally pulled over, calling Stiles.

"Hey, did you find him yet?" She asked.

'_No, I saw the lights and came here. I found my dad though.'_

"That's good." Sophia said nodding. Suddenly, her phone beeped. "Hold on, I got another call coming." She pulled it away from her ear, seeing Derek's name. "Hey, it's Derek. I gotta go." She switched lines. "Hello?"

'_I found Scott. I'm taking him back home.'_

"Okay, thanks. I owe you one." Sophia said, putting the car back in drive and turning around, heading back towards Scott's house.

'_You don't owe me anything. I'm just glad I could find him before the Alpha did or he hurt someone.'_

"Well, thanks again. I'm heading that way; I'm around five minutes out."

'_Alright.'_ Derek answered and hung up without waiting for a reply. Sophia glanced her phone when she pulled it away from her ear.

"Rude much." She said before throwing the phone into the passenger seat, driving the short distance to Scott's house.


	8. Wolf's Bane

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

"This has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever done." Sophia said as she glanced back in the rearview mirror, drifting the surprisingly agile Camaro around a tight corner. Scott and Stiles were in the backseat, telling her to go faster. Sophia shifted gears, slamming her foot down on the gas. They just had to stay one step ahead of Kate and they were home free.

"Sophie, not to correct you or anything, because I know how much you hate that, but I think you're not grasping the concept of the car chase here." Stiles said, looking through the back window.

"Why don't you get up here and show me how then?!" Sophia said as she turned a sharp corner. "I'm thinking about me and you, Stiles, fragile humans here. Besides, I'm already going 90." She shifted again before she looked up in the rearview, Kate was gone. Stiles turned on the police radio that he had brought with them.

'_All units, suspect is on foot, heading into the iron works.'_ An officer said. Sophia growled softly, shifting gears once more. She pulled the Camaro right into the iron works and leaned over to throw open the passenger door.

"If I were you, I'd get your ass in here wolf-bait." She said before leaning back into the driver's seat, holding down the clutch and getting ready to peel out as soon as Derek was in the car. He jumped in and Sophia let out the clutch, the tires spinning and squealing as they pulled out of the iron works. Bullets from Chris Argent's gun ricocheting off of the car as they got out of range. Sophia shifted as the car remained quiet for only a moment.

"So, exactly what part of just lay low, did you not understand?" Sophia asked, breaking the silence and turning to glare at the older man.

"Damn it, I had him!" Derek yelled, hitting the dash.

"Who, the Alpha?" Stiles asked as he and Scott leaned in the middle from the backseat.

"Yes! He was right in front of me and the freaking police showed up." Derek said angrily.

"Hey, they're just doing their jobs…" Stiles said, quickly shutting up under Derek's glare. Both boys shrunk away from the man and closer to the woman driving.

"Yeah, thanks to someone who decided to make me the most wanted fugitive in the entire state." Derek said, leaning slightly to look at Scott, who was sitting behind Sophia.

"Can we seriously get past that? I made a dumbass mistake, I get it." Scott said, throwing his hands up.

"Alright!" Stiles said loudly, breaking them up before he turned back to look at Derek. "How did you find him?" Derek looked at the boys before turning away, shaking his head.

"Can you at least trust us for half a second? I mean, I'm driving your car. How much more trusting can you get?" Sophia said, glancing at him as she down-shifted to get around a corner a little slower before shifting back up once they were in a straight-away.

"Yeah, all of us." Stiles said, confidently leaning between the seats, until Derek shifted in his seat and glaring at Stiles once again.

"Or just Sophia. We'll just be back here." Stiles said as he disappeared back into the backseat.

"Look, the last time I talk to my sister, she was close to figuring something out." Derek finally opened up a little. "She found two things. The first was a guy named Harris."

"Our chemistry teacher?!" Stiles said, coming back up through the middle. He did so quickly and it caused Sophia to jump and swerve slightly. Scott peeked out next.

"Why him?" He asked and Sophia rolled her eyes before turning to them.

"If you boys like riding in the very expensive sports car, you will get in the back and put your seatbelts on." The redhead said, watching as they both slinked into the back and put their seatbelts on. Derek watched them in silence for a moment before he spoke again.

"I don't know yet." The man said, shaking his head.

"So, what was the second thing?" Sophia asked, glancing over at him. Derek leaned over slightly, reaching into his back pocket before pulling out a folded up piece of paper.

"Some kind of symbol." He said, opening the paper, allowing the three of them to see it. Sophia glanced at it; she had never seen it before. "What?" Derek asked and Sophia glanced at him curiously, realizing that he was talking to Scott. "You know what this is?" He asked.

"I've seen it on a necklace." The car was silent. Scott hit the driver's seat. "Allison's necklace." Sophia shifted again, stepping on the gas, the car rumbling to life underneath her.

**XXX**

"The hell man!" Sophia said as she stood up, Scott had run right into her.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry! Listen, I need to tell you guys something! It's important." Scott said, looking a bit like Stiles with the flailing limbs.

"What?" Sophia asked, leaning down to pick up her backpack.

"Jackson knows." Sophia and Stiles looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"Knows what?" They asked.

"About me and being a werewolf." Scott whispered the last part and their eyes immediately widened.

"How the hell did he find out?" Stiles asked him as they walked into the hall.

"I have no idea." Scott said, still flailing.

"Okay, well, did he say it out loud?" Sophia asked, putting the hand on Scott's arm. He turned to look at her.

"Say what?" He asked.

"Werewolf, Scott. Did he say it?" She said, leaning closer to whisper to him.

"No but he implied it pretty freaking clearly." Scott said in a rushed, hushed whisper. The friends took a few steps in silence, trying to figure everything out.

"Maybe it's not as bad as it seems. I mean, he doesn't have any proof, right?" Stiles said to Scott. "If he wanted to tell someone, who's gonna believe him anyway?"

"How about Allison's father!?" Scott said, turning to Stiles. Sophia nodded her head and pursed her lips.

"Okay, it's bad." Stiles said in agreement.

"I need a cure. Right now." Scott said.

"Does he know about Allison's father?" Stiles asked and Scott shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know." He answered.

"Okay…" Stiles said before leaning forward slightly to look at Sophia from the other side of Scott. "Where's Derek?" She raised an eyebrow.

"First off, why are you asking me? I'm not his keeper. Secondly, he's out hiding like we told him to. Why does it matter?" She said, turning to Stiles.

"I have another idea." He said while putting a hand on Scott's shoulder to stop him. Sophia stopped and came to stand beside the Teen Wolf. "It's gonna take a little time and finesse, though." Scott opened his mouth to say something when Sophia stepped up.

"Okay, well, we have a game tonight. Its quarterfinals and we're _all_ playing, including you." Sophia said, pointing to the other boy.

"I know, I know." Stiles said, letting the girl know he hadn't truly forgotten. "Do you have a plan for Allison yet?"

"She's in my next class." Scott answered.

"Get the necklace." Stiles and Sophia said together before they headed off to their next classes.

**XXX**

Sophia grabbed her lunch and walked over to where her boys were sitting. "I know nothing about girls and that they're totally psychotic." Scott said. Sophia sat her tray down and dropped her bag before sitting across from them. She smiled.

"I resent that statement." Scott began to stutter over his words.

"Not you! I mean, you're not psychotic. I-I…" Sophia chuckled and took a bite of her chicken.

"All is forgiven Scott, believe me, I know how crazy girls can get." Scott gave her a small smile.

"Well, I came up with a plan B in case something like this happened." Stiles said and Sophia and Scott looked at the other boy.

"What's plan B?" Scott asked.

"Just steal the stupid thing." He said and Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah… because that is so much better." She said, taking another bite of her food.

"Couldn't we at least try getting to Harris?" Scott asked, hoping to get his mind off of Allison for a short moment.

"My dad put him on 24-hour protective detail, okay?" Stiles said, setting his water bottle back down. "The necklace is all we got. Steal it. Thank you." Sophia pulled out her phone, thinking about texting Derek for a new plan but decided against this. His plan would be just about as bad as Stiles'. Slowly, Scott's hands began shaking and Sophia glanced over at Stiles. _Jackson_ he mouthed to her and she nodded her head, looking around for the other boy. He was talking directly to Scott meaning that Sophia wouldn't hear him unless she really tried. Sophia put her hands over Scott's just as he broke the tray. She chewed on her bottom lip as she watched Scott glare at Jackson.

**XXX**

"Come on, come on." Stiles said, dragging Sophia into his room.

"Stiles, I don't understand why I need to be here." She said, throwing her bag down beside Stiles'.

"Because, my plan needs a woman's touch." He said, typing away at his laptop.

"Oh does it." She said, coming over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss on the cheek. He tried to push her away as he chuckled. She let him go and sat on the bed, watching as he worked.

"Hey Stiles!" The sheriff called up.

"Yo Da-Derek…" Sophia turned and Derek was hiding behind the door. He raised a finger to his lips, telling him to shut before motioning viciously towards the door to stop his dad from coming in. Stiles ran out the door, closing it almost all the way as he stepped out. Sophia jumped over to Derek on the balls of her feet so that her heels didn't make any noise.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked in a harsh whisper.

"Making sure guys are holding up your ends of the plans; we need to catch the Alpha." He whispered back and she rolled her eyes.

"How does that work by hiding behind Stiles door?!" She whisper/yelled, arms flailing in a similar Stiles fashion. The man rolled his eyes but said nothing. Sophia turned her attention to the Sheriff, peeking her head around the door and smiling at the man.

"I don't think anybody is as happy or proud as I am." The Sheriff smiled at her.

"I can imagine. You're playing too right?" He asked and Sophia nodded, leaning against Stiles' back, looking at the Sheriff over his shoulder.

"Yep, the three musketeers, together again." She said and the three of them chuckled. The Sheriff stepped forward hugging the both of them.

"I'm heading out, you know the rules Sophie, make sure Stiles follows them." He said, pointing to the girl in a playful manner. She gave him a mock salute.

"I understand my duties." He chuckled as he turned to walk back down the stairs. Stiles turned to Sophia when his dad was down on the first floor.

"Your relationship with my dad is weird." He said, trying to open the door without turning around.

"What are you talking about? It is a perfectly normal father/daughter relationship." She said, reaching around him to open the door, Stiles almost falling inside and Sophia following him. Stiles closed the door behind them before they were pinned to it by Derek. He held Sophia to the door with his left hand wrapped into her jacket. His right hand pushed Stiles into the door before he used it to point in the boy's face.

"If either of you say one word…"

"What, you mean, like, "Hey Dad, Derek Hale's in my room. Bring your gun"?" Stiles said sarcastically which caused Derek to pause and looked at the two of them. Derek lowered his right hand, putting on Stiles' chest to continue holding him to the door. "Yeah, that's right. If I'm harboring your fugitive ass, it's my house, my rules, buddy." Stiles said, tapping Derek on the chest with the back of his hand. Derek looked down at where Stiles had hit him before nodding and leaning away from the two teenagers, he fixed Stiles jacket before Stiles did the same to him. Stiles began to move back into the room when Derek jumped at him, causing the boy to jump away. "Oh my God!" Sophia pushed Derek away with a glare. She made her way back over to the bed, slipping off her boots before getting on it.

"Scott didn't get the necklace?" Derek asked.

"No, he's still working on it." Stiles said from where he was sitting in his computer chair. "But there's something else we can try." Derek walked closer to them, shrugging his shoulders. "The night we were trapped at the school, Scott sent a text to Allison asking her to meet him there."

"So?" Derek asked, not seeing the problem.

"So it wasn't Scott." Sophia said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Derek looked between the two of them before turning his attention to Sophia.

"Well, can you find out who sent it?" He asked.

"No, not either of us. But I think I know somebody who can." Stiles said, looking over at Sophia and the girl shook her head.

"No! I'm not calling him and getting him involved in all of this. He's one of my best friends Stiles! The only best friend I have other than you and Scott! Please let me keep a friend!" She said, sitting up.

"Just tell him we have to work on a project anyway!" Stiles said, holding his arms up. "Problem solved."

"I don't have any classes with you!" Sophia flailed in a similar motion and Stiles' whiskey eyes looked into her emerald ones. "I'm not falling for that. The last time I fell for that, I ended up with a broken ankle."

**XXX**

"You want me to do what?" Danny asked outraged. Sophia pursed her lips. Stiles had won. Dammit. She was now sitting against the headboard next to Derek, watching them.

"Trace a text." Stiles said, looking up at where Danny was standing.

"I came here to do lab work. That's what lab partners do." Danny said, turning to Sophia when he said that. She shrugged her shoulders.

"This was all his idea. I didn't want to call you." She said and Stiles turned to her, giving her his best glare before turning back to Danny.

"And we will, once you trace the text." Stiles promised.

"And what makes you think I know how?" Danny asked and Sophia rolled her eyes. He's the son of the Sheriff, how do you think Danny?

"I looked up your arrest report, so…" Stiles explained weakly.

"I…I was 13. They dropped the charges." Danny explained. "No, we're doing lab work." Danny insisted and Stiles caved. Danny grabbed a stool and sat beside the younger boy. Sophia yawned before going back to her phone. Stiles isn't as persuasive to everyone as he thought.

"Who's he again?" Danny asked motioning over to Derek. Stiles looked over his shoulder before glancing at Sophia. She looked up from her phone before glancing at Derek.

"This is Miguel, he's Stiles cousin. He came down for a visit." Sophia said, putting a hand on Derek's shoulder, smiling at Danny. Derek looked up and glared at Sophia, she gave him a bright, innocent smile in return. He turned back to his book.

"Is that blood on his shirt?" Danny asked both other occupants and Sophia turned and looked. Sure enough, there was blood on the bottom of Derek's shirt. Sophia chewed her lip for a minute. Stiles turned and looked over his shoulder again.

"Oh, Miguel, did you get a nosebleed again?" Sophia asked Derek, who once again looked up at her with a look that spelled out a slow, painful death. She turned to Danny, "He gets them all the time. Didn't Stiles say you could borrow a shirt?" Stiles nodded his head.

"Yeah, just grab one." The younger boy said as Derek closed the book, throwing it at Sophia, who caught it with a chuckle. Derek stood and took off his long sleeve shirt and she couldn't help but stare before she turned her attention back to Stiles and Danny.

"Stiles. Sophia." Derek said, drawing their attention.

"Yes." Stiles said, turning towards him.

"This…" He said, holding up a shirt between both hands. "No fit." Sophia pursed her lips, taking in his abs.

"Then try something else on." Stiles said and Sophia took in a deep breath, smelling the slightest trace of arousal in the air… but it wasn't her. She turned her head and saw Danny staring intently at Derek. The woman smirked, sliding off the bed before walking up behind her friend. Danny turned away quickly and Stiles shared a looked with Sophia over his head. She nodded her head, wrapping her arms around Danny's neck before leaning into him. He brought his hand up and wrapped it around one of her forearms. He was used to Sophia's need to be physically close to the people she cares about and since Danny really didn't care, he let her do it all the time. He felt Sophia laid her chin on the top of her head.

"Hey, that one looks pretty good, right Danny?" She asked, motioning over to Derek with the arm that Danny wasn't holding. Danny looked away shyly and, once again, Derek was glaring death at the girl.

"It's not really his color." Danny said weakly before Derek pulled the shirt off and looking for another one, he had caught on to what she was doing. If Danny wasn't gay, Sophia could do it all herself but since he was gay… she had to use other methods. Sophia smirked and leaned down towards Danny's ear. "You swing for a different team but you still play ball, don't you, Danno?" He looked at her over his shoulder.

"You're a horrible person." She chuckled and nuzzled into his neck.

"I know, it keeps me awake at night wondering what could have been." Stiles chuckled as Danny shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, about that text…" Stiles started before Derek called for them again.

"None of these fit." Derek said, holding up a shirt. Stiles looked at Sophia and they both looked at Danny.

"I'll need the ISP, the phone number, and the exact time of the text." Danny said, turning to the computer. Sophia and Stiles threw their arms into the air, high-fiving each other before they relaxed. Sophia finally turned to help Derek find a shirt that fit.

"I hate you so much." He hissed out at her and she smiled.

"All in the name of finding the Alpha." She said, throwing the shirt in his face.

**XXX**

A few minutes later, Danny had traced the text. "There." He said, pointing to the screen. "This text was sent from a computer. This one." Danny said, pointing at the screen. Derek, Sophia, and Stiles leaned in closer; the name on the screen was one that they couldn't believe.

"Registered to that account name?" Derek asked.

"No, no, no, no. That can't be right." Stiles said in disbelief. _Melissa McCall._

**XXX**

Sophia was dressed in all of her gear when Derek appeared. She glanced around quickly before pushing him into a more secluded spot in the locker room, looking around again before turning back to him. "What the hell are you doing here?" She asked.

"I need your help." He said.

"My help? Why?" She asked, crossing her arms, which was hard with the pad over her chest.

"I'm going to talk to Melissa." He said and Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"No you're not." She said, shifting to put her hands on her hips.

"Yes I am and if you want to help me then let's go." He said, turning to walk away.

"I can't just leave Derek. I'm first line. There isn't anyone to replace me." She said, watching him turn back towards her.

"Look, either you come with me, or I go alone. Make your choice." Sophia sighed, taking off her elbow pads and her chest pad before throwing them all back in her locker and closing it tight.

"I hate you for this." She said as she walked by him, letting her hair down as she went.

"Where are you going?" Jackson asked her as he grabbed her arm.

"I just got a call that my uncle is in the hospital, I have to go. Tell coach for me." She said quickly, pulling away from the boy and heading out the door to her car. She got inside, jumping slightly when she saw that Derek was already there. "You're a horrible person." She said, pulling out her phone and calling Scott.

'_Where are you? We're getting ready to start.'_

"I know, Derek needs my help real quick though." Sophia said, glaring over at the man. She was probably going to lose her spot on first line because of him.

'_Are you serious? You're first line!'_

"I know, just… trust me, okay?" She said, listening to the other boy sigh.

'_Alright, I sent you the picture did you get it?'_

"Yeah, I did. It looks just like the drawing." She said before Derek grabbed the phone from her. She reached for it but he put it up to his right ear, further away from Sophia's reach.

"Is there something on the back of it? There's gotta be something. An inscription, an opening, something." He said to the younger beta.

'_No, no, the thing's flat and no, it doesn't open. There's nothing in it, on it, around it, nothing. Are you sure you want to help him? This is regionals.'_ Sophia sighed, taking the phone back from Derek when he offered it.

"Yeah, Coach will send someone out in my place and you have Stiles. Just keep an eye on him okay, Scott." She said, silently praying that she would get back in time, for nothing else to see Stiles' first game.

'_I will. Just try to hurry.'_ She nodded her head, taking her keys from the ignition.

"I will, I'll be back before half the game is over." She said confidently.

'_Alright. Let me know.'_

"I will. Good luck boys. I'll be there as soon as I can." She said, making a kissing sound into the phone, she always gave them good luck kisses (on the cheek) before a game. She hung up the phone, leaning over slightly to put her phone into her back pocket.

"You're not going to make it." Derek said and Sophia turned to him and glared.

"I know." She said, taking her seatbelt off.

"You didn't tell him about his mom either." Derek said again.

"I won't tell him anything until I know the truth." Sophia said, leaning back in her seat.

"Oh, by the way, one more thing." Derek said, looking over at her.

"What?" She said, getting ready to turn to him when she felt his hand on the back of her head, driving it into the steering wheel… _hard._ "Dude! What the hell was that for?!" She yelled, cradling her forehead in her hands.

"You know exactly what that was for. Go. Go!" Sophia shook her head before getting out, looking back inside for a moment.

"I'm going to kill you slowly and painfully with wolfsbane." She mouthed to him before she walked towards the building and going inside.

**XXX**

Sophia's heels click along the linoleum floor as she walked. Melissa wasn't there… in fact; it looked like nobody was there. She pulled her phone out and pressed it to her ear when she felt it going off in her pocket; she didn't have to look to know it was Derek. "I can't find her." She said as soon as she answered.

'_Okay, well, look, ask for Jennifer. She's been looking after my uncle.' _Sophia found the room and walked inside but no one was there. No nurse. No comatose uncle. Nothing.

"Um… okay, well, he's not here either." Sophia said, looking around the room before looking down the hall.

'_What?'_

"Do I need to spell it out for you? He's not here, Derek. He's gone." She said and there was a moment of silence.

'_Sophia, get out of there right now. It's him! He's the Alpha!'_ Sophia's eyes widened as she took a step out of the room and there was Peter Hale, leaning against the corner of the wall.

"Ah, little Sophie. You've grown up after all these years." Peter said and Sophia slipped her phone into her pocket and walked backwards away from the man only to stop when she came face to face with his nurse, Jennifer.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. "Visiting hours are over." Sophia glanced between the two of them, slowly piecing things together in her head before she decided that she wasn't going down without a fight. Claws and fangs extended and eyes turned gold. She roared at Peter and he smirked. She was so distracting watching Peter; she didn't even know Derek had shown up.

"That's not nice. She's my nurse." Peter said and Sophia turned to look behind her, locking eyes with Derek. His hazel looking into her gold for a moment before turning back to his uncle.

"She's a psychotic bitch helping you kill people." Derek said before looking at Sophia again, apparently trying to take her in. She began to back up when Peter began walking towards Derek.

"You think I killed Laura on purpose? One of my own family." Derek's eyes shifted blue as he growled. He jumped at Peter, who easily threw him around. Peter reached down for Derek's throat when Sophia let out a roar and charged Peter, he turned his attention to her, grabbing her around the throat and holding her to the wall as she tried to bite him. He looked down at Derek. "My mind, my personality were literally burned out of me. I was driven by pure instinct." He dropped Sophia before going over to Jennifer, pulling something out of her pocket. Sophia clutched her throat, wheezing and coughing, back to her human form.

"You want forgiveness?" Derek said as he stood up. They fought for a moment before Peter head-butted Derek, causing the younger man to stumble for a moment.

"I want understanding." Peter said before kicking Derek aside.

"Derek!" Sophia called to him as she stood, making her way over to them.

"Do you have any idea what it was like for me during those years?" Peter asked Derek. Sophia slipped past the Alpha to kneel by Derek, watching him spit blood out onto the floor. "Slowly healing, cell by cell. Even more slowly coming back to consciousness. Yes, becoming an Alpha, taking that from Laura pushed me over a plateau in the healing process." Peter said as he slowly walked towards the beta pair. Sophia helped Derek sit up, growling at Peter with ever step he took. "I can't help that." Derek threw punches at Peter, one of which he caught and began breaking the bones in Derek's hand. Sophia growled, slashing at his face when he caught her wrist, doing the same thing, both of them, falling to their knees, groaning in pain. "I tried to tell you want was happening, Derek. I tried to warn you." He threw Sophia into a wall, making a large dent in it while he threw Derek through the glass of the reception area. Sophia opened her eyes, coughing from the cracked ribs. Derek had crawled out of her sight and Peter had followed him.


	9. Co-Captain

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! It's only Wednesday and it's been a pretty bad week… Anyway, here's the next chapter! Please review, fave, and follow!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

For the fifth time, Derek's phone went to voicemail but this time, Sophia left a message. "I don't know where the hell you went or what the hell you think you're doing but you better call me back or else your pretty little ass is mine... and not in the good way. We got some things to talk about if the hospital wasn't enough to figure that out. I'm going to the school; I'm at least going to see Scott and Stiles. You can find me there or call me back. I'll be waiting Hale." She threw the phone into the passenger seat before pressing the gas pedal down harder, feeling the Challenger rumble even more as it picked up speed. She'd checked almost the entire hospital but she hadn't been able to find either of them and she hadn't heard them leaving either. Apparently, as it would seem, since no one is dead, Derek had went with Peter. Willingly. That didn't sit well with Sophia. It was more than enough to put a sour taste in her mouth as well as cause her fangs to grow. She had to find Scott and Stiles and tell them about this.

**XXX**

Sophia ran into the locker room, Stiles and Scott were sitting on the bench in the dark, both boys in towels. "We got a problem!" She said as she came to stand in front of the two of them.

"Trust me. I know." Scott said and Stiles nodded, apparently, Scott had explained it to the other boy. She nodded.

"How are you? You went to the hospital with Derek." Scott said, looking up at her. She sighed and bit her lip.

"I'm fine. A little shaken but fine." She said and they nodded in approval. "Listen, we need to talk. I don't want to do it here. Why don't you come over to my house tomorrow?" She said to them and they nodded. "Alright, get dressed. You're going home. And congratulations on the win tonight! First game Stiles!" She said, high-fiving the boy.

**XXX**

Sophia was sitting on the couch, watching TV when there was a knock at the door. She stood up and walked over to it. When she opened it, she was expecting to see Scott or Stiles or both of them. She was a little (a lot) surprised to see Derek. She blinked before grabbing his arm and pulling him inside. "Really? Broad daylight?!" She asked loudly. The man snorted.

"We have stuff to talk about." He said and she shook her head.

"I have nothing to say to you. You went off and joined Team Peter. I don't associate with the enemy." She said and Derek growled, which caused Sophia to growl back. There was another knock on her door and she looked through the peephole this time. It was Scott and Stiles. She turned to the older man. "If you want to know, hide but Scott and Stiles have a right to know more than you do." She said, watching as the man glared at her before stalking over to the kitchen. She rolled her eyes before opening the door.

"Hey." They said, waving at her.

"Hey." She said, letting them in. "So, sit down. We have a lot to talk about." She said, sitting on the coffee table facing the boys.

"What's up?" Scott asked, sitting on the couch, gently grabbing her hand. She smiled at the encouragement.

"I haven't been totally honest with you guys. About everything." She said, pushing her deep red hair behind her ear. They both looked at her in silence.

"What do you mean?" Stiles asked, breaking the tense air. The girl took in a deep breath.

"I'm a werewolf." There was another moment of silence before they laughed.

"That's a good one Sophie, but really, what did you need to talk to us about?" Stiles said when he was finally able to stop laughing. The girl raised an eyebrow before closing her eyes, she could feel the tingling in her fingertips and gums as her claws and fangs extended. When she opened her eyes, her vision was red. Both boys sat there stunned for a moment.

"Did… did Peter bite you too?" Scott asked, unsure of how to handle the whole situation.

"No, I'm like Derek… I'm a born wolf." She said, her vision fading back to normal and her words becoming less slurred as she spoke.

"So, you've been a wolf all this time but you didn't tell us!" Scott said in outrage, standing up quickly.

"There's a reason. I wanted to help you, I did." Sophia said, looking down at the ground.

"Then why didn't you!" Scott yelled, good thing Sophia's parents were out.

"Because I couldn't." She said, gritting her teeth.

"That's not a good reason!" He continued to yell. The girl looked up at him, her eyes flashing.

"I've never been a part of a pack! I never had anyone to teach me these things! Derek was the best one to do it!" She yelled back causing Scott to freeze to take in the new information.

"What?" Stiles asked, leaning forward from where he was sitting on the couch. She sighed, picking at a worn spot on her jeans.

"My mom and dad, Judy and Matthew, found me and adopted me in Colorado. Apparently there's a werewolf pack there that my parents were apart of before they banned them. Once they were banned, they had me. Two betas without an Alpha and with a child… they weren't going to last long on their own. They were killed my hunters but not before my mother was able to hide me. I was then found by my parents, who adopted me and moved out here to Beacon Hills a few years ago." Sophia explained her story, knowing that the boys were listening intently and that Derek hadn't left his place in the kitchen.

"So… you're an omega?" Stiles asked and she nodded as she looked up. Scott looked less angry and was finally sitting down again. He must have sat during her story.

"I mean, the closest thing I have to a pack is the two of you and Danny. You've always been pack." She said, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"How have we known you this whole time and never known?" Scott asked.

"Once I was able to control everything to a 'T' I just stopped using my powers. I stopped my heighted senses and I stop the transformation and eventually, my wolf went into a state of, for better lack of terms, hibernation. I lived as a human for as long as I've known you. Once you were bitten by Peter and you became a wolf, you awoke mine, making it restless until I finally had to let it out. The fight between Peter, Derek, and I back in the hospital seemed like the perfect time." There was a moment of silence.

"Can you smell sexual desire?" Stiles asked, causing the three of them to laugh.

"Yes Stiles, I can smell sexual desire." The boy nodded her head.

"Did you know Derek before… the fire?" Scott asked timidly and Sophia nodded.

"I did. I knew most of the Hale pack before the fire. The fire was the reason my parents moved back to Colorado just before I met the two of you. They were worried that because I was always with the Hales that I would become a target as well so they moved me out of the state. Lucky enough, they brought me back just in time to meet you guys." She said with a smile and they smiled back.

"Do your parents know what you are? Or Derek?" Scott asked and Sophia shook her head.

"My parents don't know. I don't want them to know. Derek knows because of the hospital but he didn't recognize me as the one who he used to play tag with when we were at the Hale house…" Sophia paused, thinking about earlier at the hospital. "Peter recognized me the minute he saw me." Both boys stiffened.

"So he knew…"

"This whole time that I was a wolf? Yeah. That's why he didn't bite me in the woods. He already knew who I was before my wolf reawakened." The girl said, looking up at her friends. "I can't promise I'll be a good teacher Scott but I'll help you with whatever I can. Just remember that, okay?" She laid a hand on his shoulder and he nodded, putting his hand over hers. She smiled and patted their knees. "Alright, now that you know everything, plug up the X-Box, I'm gonna get the soda and popcorn."

"Yes!" Stiles said, jumping up and running over to the TV. Sophia chuckled and walked into the kitchen, coming face to face to Derek. The TV was loud enough that Scott shouldn't be able to hear them if they talked lowly.

"Alright, you know. Now get out." She said, pointing to the backdoor.

"I knew you before the fire?" He asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Yeah, you would remember if you weren't so intent of revenge." She said, putting her hands on her hips. "Look, you know everything. Just leave before one of them come in here. I'm sure we'll see each other again sooner than later." She said and the man nodded his head, giving her one last look before leaving through the backdoor. With a sigh, she grabbed two bags of popcorn to put into the microwave and three cans of soda from the fridge.

**XXX**

'_Hey! Listen, go to Derek's place! He has Jackson!'_ Scott said over the phone and Sophia made a noise of agreement before putting her phone in her pocket. She slipped on a pair of tennis shoes before going out the door and running in the direction of the Preserve. Running, the trip only took ten minutes. She stopped in front of the house before deciding to go through the window. She managed to jump to the second story and climb in through one of those. She could hear Derek yelling at Jackson.

"And no one cares that you're captain of the lacrosse team!" Derek yelled Sophia stood the top step, looking down at them.

"Excuse me." She said, causing Derek and Jackson to look up at her. "I happen to care." She said before she jumped down the stairs, landing in her beta form. She glanced back at Jackson before Derek's roar turned her attention to him. She stood up, getting chest to chest with Derek as she roared right back.

"Move!" He said, his speech thoroughly distorted from his fangs.

"No." She said, her speech equally as choppy.

"Fine. I'll kill you too." He said and Sophia smirked.

"I'd like to see you try." She said before there was a whistling sound. Derek turned back to the door before turning back to the redhead.

"Cover your eyes!" He ducked just before something came through the window and exploded, blinding Sophia. She pushed Jackson out of the way when bullets came flying into the house. Derek managed to crawl to a safe place right before Sophia took a bullet in the stomach. She managed to get behind a solid piece of the wall as she covered the wound with her hand. She coughed, blood coming up with it. "Sophia, go!" Derek yelled to her. Sophia glanced over at him, groaning as a wave of pain hit her. She threw her head back into the wall, trying to focus on something other than the pain in her abdomen. Derek took in a deep breath before making a break for it, getting Sophia up by her arm and moving her towards the backdoor. "Go!" He said before he ran back to the front door. He glanced back to make sure Sophia was gone before he opened the door, roaring as he came out.

Sophia had managed to get far enough from the house that she couldn't hear the gunfire anymore before she fell to the ground. She was gasping, trying not to choke on the blood that kept coming up with every breath. She closed her eyes for a moment before she was picked up by someone. She struggled weakly.

"You're alright. You're going to be alright." He said in a soothing voice which slowly lolled Sophia into a sleep.

**XXX**

Sophia's eyes flew open as she coughed, expelling the last of the blood in her throat. A gentle hand landed on her shoulder. "I wouldn't get up just yet." The voice said. Sophia took a moment to take in some deep breaths before looking around.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"You're fine." The man said, Sophia's vision was still a little blurry so she couldn't really see his face. "I've given you something that should speed up the healing process." The girl leaned up slightly, looking down at the wound on her side, just above her hip. She looked over at the man again, her vision getting better.

"Dr. Deaton?" She asked. "But you're a vet." She said, laying her head back on the table.

"That's very true." He said, stepping back from the girl. "But 90% of the time, I'm mostly treating cats and dogs." Sophia's brow furrowed slightly as she looked up at him.

"Mostly?" She asked.

"Mostly." Deaton said with a smile as the girl laid her head back down on the table under her and quickly falling back asleep.


	10. Formality

**A/N: I hope you guys are enjoying the story! This is a short chapter, the shortest one so far and it's a bit of a filler more or less. Please fave, review, and follow to let me know how much you like it! I really can't wait to move onto the other seasons! :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia opened her emerald eyes, blinking a few times before she tried to sit up. She quickly slid off of the table and landed on her feet, she was still feeling a little weak but she was a lot better. "Welcome back to the land of the conscious. You doing okay?" Deaton asked as he came over to her, steadying her with a hand to the back and the abdomen, away from the bullet wound. She sighed, leaning back against the table slightly. "Maybe you should sit down, huh?" Deaton said, patting her on the back slightly. The bell over the door jingled, signaling someone had come in. "Hello?" Deaton called before the door closed. Sophia reached out and put a hand on the man's arm. He turned to her and offered her a smile before covering hers with his own. He then made his out the door to the front of the clinic. "I'm sorry but we're… we're closed." Sophia couldn't see who he was talking to.

"Hi there. I'm here to pick up." Sophia heard Peter's voice and she moved off to the side, hiding.

"I'm not sure I remember you dropping off." Deaton said, sliding his hands into his pockets.

"This one wandered in on its own." Peter said. Sophia could hear the slight taps of his shoes as he walked closer to the front desk.

"Even if she did, I'm afraid I can't help you. We're closed." Deaton said, his voice firm and unafraid.

"I think you can make an exception this one time." Peter was still walking closer to the desk. He stopped. "Don't you?"

"I'm sorry. That's not going to be possible. Maybe you could come back during regular hours." Deaton said and the clinic went quiet.

"You have something I want." Peter said seriously. "I'm here to collect it." Sophia shivered slightly. This wasn't the Peter she remembered teaching her to control the shift or teaching her to howl.

"Like I said, we're closed." Deaton said again. Who was that man? He was more than just a regular vet. Sophia could hear a scraping sound.

"Mountain ash." Peter said. "That's an old one." Sophia jumped when there was a loud crash, covering her eyes before sinking to the floor slightly.

"Let me be as clear as possible. **We. Are. Closed.**" After Sophia uncovered her ears, she could hear Peter turn and make his way back towards the door before he stopped just before exiting it.

"There are others who can help me get what I want, Sophie. More innocent and far more vulnerable." Peter said in a whisper but she could still hear him clearly. She could only think about Scott, Stiles, and Danny. The bell above the door jingled once more, meaning that he had finally left.

**XXX**

Sophia quickly but her shirt back on before walking home to take a shower and get changed. She brushed her hair out, looking at it in the mirror. It was a deep shade of red, much redder than Lydia. A warm red compared to Lydia's light copper. She tied it up with a ponytail before getting dressed in a tank top, a pair of jeans, and tennis shoes before making her way to school. Her parents were already at work so she didn't have to explain why she was late that day.

**XXX**

Stiles slammed Jackson locker closed when the other boy wouldn't pay attention to them. "You want me to take her to the formal." Jackson said to Scott. Since Sophia had saved him, he was a little more lax about talking to her, Scott, and Stiles.

"I don't want you to. I need you to." Scott said back to the other boy.

"Screw you. You know what? Screw you, too." Jackson said, looking at Stiles. He turned his gaze to Sophia and she raised an eyebrow, letting her eyes flash.

"Finish that sentence, boy." She said as she crossed her arms over her chest. Jackson blinked before looking between the two boys.

"In fact, screw each other." He said, motioning between the two the two boys.

"Really?" Stiles asked. "That's the thanks we get for calling Sophia to save your life?" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She rolled her eyes.

"He didn't say anything bad about me." She said, smirking at the other boy. He rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to Jackson.

"She left me for dead." He said, pointing to her and she raised an eyebrow, stepping up between Stiles and Scott.

"I got shot for you." She said in a hushed tone.

"Oh yeah?" He said sarcastically. "Show me the bullet wound." She rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips.

"You know it healed." She said, glaring at him.

"Mmm, convenient." She growled at him, feeling Scott and Stiles grab her around the arms before pulling her back behind them.

"Just do it for Allison, okay? She's in serious danger. I'm talking about around-the-clock danger." Scott tried to explain to Jackson. "She needs someone to keep an eye on her at the dance."

"Just have her dad do it, okay?" Jackson said as if it solved all of the problems. Sophia rolled her eyes and turned to her phone, finding Derek's name. She was tempted to call it or text it but she wasn't sure if she wanted to know what would happen if Peter found out she was in contact with him. Peter must've known… right? Jackson left and she tuned in just in time to watch Scott walk off.

"What happened?" She asked Stiles. He looked between her and Scott, pointing towards the other boy.

"You missed all of that?" He asked and she nodded. He sighed and shook his head, following their friend. Sophia shrugged and followed the three boys. Scott, Stiles, and Sophia peeked around the corner as Jackson asked Allison what time he should pick her up for the dance.

"You're a horrible person." She said to Scott.

"Don't worry. Sophie and I'll still be there." Stiles said, nudging Scott.

"I'm still going." Scott said and both of his friends looked at him.

"Is that such a good idea?" Sophia asked as she looked at the younger werewolf.

"Do you even have a date?" Stiles asked.

"Not yet."

"Do you have a suit?"

"Not yet."

"Do you have a ticket to the formal? A ride there?"

"No and no."

"So, you're going to ride your bike to a dance that you're not even allowed to go to without a suit, a date, or a way in with werewolves and werewolf hunters all out to kick our little werewolf asses." Sophia said, crossing her arms and shifting her weight to her left leg.

"Yeah." Scott said chucking. "You guys gonna help me?"

"Hell yeah." Stiles and Sophia said at the same time with a smile before following Scott down the hall.

**XXX**

Sophia put on the nice, deep olive green she bought. It was semi-tight and fell about mid-thigh. It was a tube top with lace long sleeves. She did minimal make-up as she took the curlers out of her hair, letting the ringlets bounce as she turned. She slipped on her black heels and put on her jewelry before she sighed, checking her phone once more before putting it in her small bag. She got into the Challenger and drove to the school. She went solo to the dance, she didn't have anyone she wanted to ask and no one asked her. She got there just before Stiles. She didn't get out of the car right away; she was watching the interaction between Stiles and his date, which happened to be Lydia Martin. Stiles looked good and he treated Lydia like a complete gentleman… why wasn't she with Stiles. She chuckled as she got out of the car and walked inside.

The music was loud, the lights were bright, and almost everyone in the school was there. She could see Stiles and Lydia getting up to dance and she couldn't help but smile. She could hear Finstock yelling at Scott. She jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder and turned her around. "Sophia, dance with me." Scott said to her.

"Really? That's your master plan?" She asked, trying not to laugh.

"Just, please, come on." Scott said, pulling her onto the dancefloor and wrapping his arms around her. She smiled and chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, lightly lacing her fingers together.

"This is a bad idea. We told you this was a bad idea." She said, swaying slightly to the music, trying to keep Scott calm. Finstock came running over.

"McCall! You're not supposed to…" He stopped when he saw that he was dancing with Sophia. "What the hell are you…" The music stopped. "What the hell are you doing?" Finstock asked, no longer yelling.

"Yes, coach?" He said. That sarcastic little shit. Sophia bit her lip to hide the smile. He shifted his arms around her waist to pull her closer.

"Okay…" Finstock said, chuckling nervously before he began laughing. "Hold on, you…I was just saying he's not supposed to… I mean, I wasn't saying that he shouldn't… Dance everybody! Just dance! It's a dance!" Finstock said as he walked away. Once the music started again, Sophia began swaying.

"You know the only reason we got away with that is because he didn't want me to do something drastic. You know how I can be." Sophia said to Scott with a playful smile. Scott chuckled.

"Didn't you try to quit lacrosse once over something much stupider than this?" He asked and she chuckled.

"I think I did." They laughed for a moment before Scott began looking around.

"Thanks by the way, I owe you one." He said and she nodded.

"Hell yeah, you do." She said, smiling when Scott placed his hand on her right cheek before giving her a kiss on her left one before he bolted off. She rubbed her cheek while she laughed. Sophia made her way off the dance floor and back over to where she had been standing a moment ago. The dance continued on without another hitch. Lydia and Stiles were dancing and now Scott and Allison were. All and all, it was a good night. Even if Sophia was alone, it was a small price to pay for seeing her boys so happy.


	11. Code Breaker

**A/N: This is the season finale for season one! The next few seasons are going to be amazing! I hope you guys have enjoyed the first season! Please review, fave, and follow to let me know!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia got a drink and began to look around. Stiles was gone… so was Scott. Allison and Lydia were gone as well. She tried not to worry as she took a sip of her drink. She suddenly heard people starting to screaming outside, so Sophia ran out there to see what was going on. She saw Jackson carrying Lydia towards the school, telling people to call 911. She was covered in bloody bite and scratch marks. _Peter._ She took in a deep breath, taking off her heels before running to her car. She put the keys in the ignition and called Stiles. It rang a couple times before going to voicemail.

"Okay, first off, this isn't even funny Stiles. Call me back. Secondly, give me a sign of where you are because I'm going to kill Peter. Third, I'm going to kill you. Fourth, I'm going to kill Scott, and fifth, I'm going to kill Derek. There will be a lot of blood on my hands. Call me back… like yesterday." She said before hanging up the phone and throwing it into the passenger seat. Why didn't she think Peter would wait until she could get some real clothes? All she had was the dress she was in and the only shoes she had were her heels. Her phone vibrated with a text from Stiles.

_**From Stiles (9:45 pm)**_

_**With Peter. Hospital parking garage.**_

She nodded. She knew where they were. She pulled into the hospital parking lot, a floor lower than Stiles because the rumble of the Challenger was a little too loud. She grabbed her phone, leaving her shoes in the car as she made her way up the stairs. She opened the door quietly and tip-toed her way through the level. She heard voices and the thudding sound of something hitting a car. She came around a corner, hiding behind a car before she peeked around, seeing Peter holding Stiles' head down against the trunk of a car. Her eyes flashed yellow as her claws and fangs grew. She began walking closer, ready to tear Peter a new one. She decided to wait a second and listen, so she ducked behind another car.

"What happens when you find Derek?" Stiles asked.

"Don't think, Stiles. Type." Peter said back to the boy.

"You're going to kill people, aren't you?" Stiles asked as he typed.

"Only the responsible ones." Peter answered and Sophia's brow furrowed. Responsible ones? Responsible for what? Sophia turned her attention back to her friend.

"Look, if I do this, you have to promise to leave Scott and Sophia out of this." Stiles said to the Alpha.

"Do you know why wolves hunt in packs?" Peter asked the boy. "It's because their favored prey are too large to be brought down by one wolf alone. I need Derek, Scott, and Sophia. I need all three of them."

"They're not gonna help you." Stiles said defiantly.

"Oh, they will. Scott, especially, because it'll save Allison. And you will, because it will save Scott and Sophia." Peter told him and Stiles turned to the man.

"What do you mean?" The boy asked.

"When they catch them, and they will, do you really think that they're going to let them live?" Peter asked. "Especially after Scott got so close to one of their own. Stiles, all the power is in your hands now. It's your choice. Are you going to save them? Your best friends whom you know so well, you even know Scott's username and password." Stiles sighed as he began typing. "His username is 'Allison'?" More typing. "His password is also 'Allison'?"

"You still want him in your pack?" Stiles asked the man. Peter rolled his eyes. She watched them silently before a shiver ran through her body. She could hear Scott howling (it was so much better than before) and her eyes flickered yellow with the urge to reply. She couldn't though; Peter would know immediately where she was. She perked up when she heard another howl pierce the air. It was Derek! She stood up quickly, making sure that Peter didn't and wouldn't see her before she began running down the level to her car. She jumped inside, starting the engine before pulling out and heading in the direction of the howl.

**XXX**

Sophia parked away from the Hale house. This was where they were keeping him? Why didn't she check here before? She sighed as she got out of the car, her bare feet getting stuck with twigs and leaves. She closed the door softly before walking closer to the house. She could smell the scent of pine trees and leather, some of the scent was old while other places were much stronger, more recent. She followed the stronger scent before she hit a spot that also contained the fresh sent of Scott as well. She followed it before she found him crouched down by a little door that would lead them under ground. She put a hand on his back and he jumped before turning to her in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" He whispered softly.

"I heard you and Derek howling." She said, kneeling down beside him. Scott nodded before he opened the door and went inside. Sophia followed him, closing the door behind her. She followed behind Scott as they walked down the halls. The pair eventually came to a room and inside was Derek, he was shackled up.

"Derek?" She called his name softly as she made her way inside, flipping on a light that was aimed directly at the other wolf. He looked up at her and then at Scott.

"I'd hurry if I were you; he's supposed to be coming back." Derek said, he sounded weak. Sophia walked over to his right arm, using her claws to cut through the bolt holding it there. His arm dropped as if he was holding weights. Sophia was just about to move to the other one when Scott grabbed her arm.

"Hide!" He said, moving her into the shadows. She ran back to quickly turn off the light before going back to where Scott was. The man came in, holding a baseball bat.

"Ready to have some more fun?" The man said after he turned on the light. She noticed that Derek had managed to get his arm back into the shackle, looking as if nothing had ever happened. "To be honest, my knuckles are kind of hurting." The man said as he walked closer to Derek, looking at his knuckles. "So I brought help." He lifted the bat so that Derek could see it. It was a regular wooden one, Sophia could tell by the sound of his hands hitting it. "But I need to warn you, I used to play in college." He reared back and got ready to hit Derek when the wolf used his free right hand to catch it.

"I brought a little help too." Derek said, looking back at Sophia and Scott as they emerged from the shadows. The man looked over his shoulder before Derek used his werewolf strength to knock the guy out. Sophia walked back over to Derek, she looked down at his side, reaching for whatever the Argents had attached there and pulled it off. "Help me with this." He said, motioning for his left hand. Sophia threw the thing down and moved towards Derek's arm when Scott held a hand out, hitting her shoulder.

"No." He said seriously and firmly.

"What?" Derek and Sophia asked.

"Not until you tell me how to stop Peter." Scott continued.

"You really want to talk about this right now?" Derek asked and Sophia turned to Scott.

"I don't want to agree with him Scott but he's right. We got the Argents breathing down our necks as well as Peter. You know I was within feet of him when I heard you two howl? I know he heard them too and I know he knows where we are." Sophia said, trying to keep her inner-Stiles from coming out, that usually entails a lot of fast talking and flailing of the limbs.

"He's going after Allison and her family." Scott said as if the things the two born wolves had said didn't matter. "He's going to kill them."

"So what?!" Derek yelled.

"So tell me how to stop him." Scott said calmly, looking at Derek.

"You can't! Alright? Now…" Derek began pulling and jerking on the chain to see if he could get it to break before he turned back to Scott. "I don't know when Kate's coming back, so just get me out of this right now!" Derek said. "Get me out right now!" Derek yelled and Sophia could see that he was frantic to get away. She wanted to move closer but Scott kept a tight grip on her shoulder now that he knew she was a wolf and that he couldn't hurt her that easily.

"Promise you'll help me." Scott said calmly.

"You want me to risk my life for your girlfriend, huh? For your stupid little teenage crush that means absolutely nothing? You're not in love, Scott. You're 16 years old. You're a child." Sophia felt the anger and despair pouring off of Derek… like he was talking from experience. Sophia remembers before the fire, that Derek didn't play with her as much when he met this girl. She didn't remember a face or a name but she insisted that Derek spend all his time with her and not with his pack or Sophia. She wished she could remember a name or even just a detail.

"Maybe you're right." Scott said quietly. "But I know something you don't." Sophia turned to look at Scott over her shoulder. "Peter said he didn't know what he was doing when he killed your sister, right? He lied." Scott said, releasing Sophia to pull a piece of paper out of his pocket. "Remember this?" He asked, holding up the paper of the deer with the spiral on it. She remembered it from a news article before. "This is what brought your sister back to Beacon Hills, right?"

"Where did you get that?" Derek asked in a low voice.

"My boss told me three months ago someone came into the clinic asking for a copy of this picture. Do you want to know who it was? Peter's nurse. They brought your sister here so that Peter could kill her and become an Alpha, and that's why you're going to help me." Scott said and Sophia nodded, the boy had done his research. Derek was breathing heavily now as he leaned back against the structure he was still attached to. Sophia watched Scott turn away. "Just say you'll help me, and I'll unlock your other…" Sophia jumped with the clattering noise that happened right next to her. Derek had broken free.

"I'll help you." He said while rubbing his wrist. Sophia touched her fingertips to the side of his torso, taking a little bit of his pain to make him more comfortable. He looked over at her and nudged her away slightly. She put her hand in her pockets and nodded. Sophia and Scott had to help Derek get dressed and take his weight as they walked out. They began walking towards the house.

"My car is right over here." Sophia said, panting slightly as she pointed in the general direction of her car.

"Hold on. Hold on. Hold on." Derek panted as he stopped, he was panting harder than either of the younger wolves. He was still weak from being locked up. He looked around. "Something doesn't feel right." Scott and Sophia looked around.

"What do you mean?" Scott asked, not understanding what Derek meant.

"I mean something doesn't feel right." Derek said. "It's kind of like getting out of there… I don't know. It was… It was kind of like it was…" He was stumbling over his sentence.

"Don't you dare say 'too easy'!" Sophia said, pointing to Derek.

"Yeah, people say 'too easy' and bad things happen." Scott agreed. Derek rolled his head to the side instead of rolling his eyes.

"What, do you think finding you was easy?" Scott asked. "Getting away from Allison's dad? None of this has been easy!" Scott yelled.

"Especially in a dress with no shoes." Sophia said, pointing down to her attire.

"Yeah, so if things are going right for like two seconds, can we just not question it?" Scott said to the older man. "Can we just shut up and thank God that we finally have the tiniest bit of luck for once?" Derek sighed, nodding his head.

"Fine. You're right." Scott threw his head back.

"Thank you." Sophia chuckled.

"Never thought I'd hear Derek Hale say those words." Derek rolled his eyes. Then the silence was pierced with the sound of an arrow slicing through the air, hitting Derek in the shoulder. He groaned as he hit the ground. Sophia ran over and kneeled down next to him. Another arrow hit him the leg and one landed itself in her own shoulder. She gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain to look over Derek; he was still weak from everything.

"Scott, your eyes!" Derek called to him.

"Cover your eyes!" Sophia yelled before carefully settling herself over Derek's head to cover their eyes. After the arrow went off, Sophia sat up. "Sorry!" She said before quickly pulling the arrow out of Derek's shoulder before moving onto his leg. Derek grunted both times before doing the same to Sophia's shoulder. She screamed slightly before she got up, grabbing Scott's arm. "Move it!" She managed to pull him along, knowing that Derek was right behind them. Derek fell to the ground and Scott fell out of Sophia's grip.

"Go both of you!" Derek yelled to them.

"Not without you!" Sophia said back kneeling next to Scott. His vision was just now coming back. Allison began walking towards them and Sophia bared her fangs in a silent snarl.

"Allison, I can explain." Scott said to her.

"Stop lying." She said. "For once stop lying." Sophia stepped in front of Scott, eyes now glowing Beta gold.

"I was gonna tell you the truth at the formal." Scott said, scooting away from Sophia slightly. "I was going to tell you everything. Because everything that I said, everything that I did…"

"Was to protect me." Allison said and Sophia could just hear the snarkiness in her voice. A growl rumbled up from the back of her throat and Allison took a small step back.

"Yes." Scott said.

"I don't believe you." She said and Sophia could hear the uptick in her heartbeat. She was lying.

"Thank God. Now shoot them before I have to shoot myself." Kate said as she walked over. Sophia let a snarl rip from her chest, causing Allison to jump. Kate stopped and looked at her.

"Well, hello. I didn't think you were one of them. I thought you were a perfectly normal human like Stiles." She shrugged. "Guess I was wrong."

"You… you said we were just gonna catch them." Allison said, her voice small and unsure.

"We did that. Now we're going to kill them." Kate shot Derek and Sophia's eyes widened as she roared, bolting past Allison to head straight for Kate. Kate got off three rounds, all hitting Sophia, one in each thigh and one in the abdomen (that seemed to be the Hunters favorite spot) before she hit the ground, still growling but she was trying to curl in on herself to stop the pain. Sophia closed her eyes, trying to hear around the sounds of blood rushing through her ears. Sophia managed to roll over onto her stomach as the wounds began healing. Sophia watched as Allison ran into the house after Peter and Kate. She grit her teeth as she stood up, limping after the girl. She found Allison right in the living room, Peter standing behind Kate, holding one clawed hand to her throat.

"Say that you're sorry for decimating my family." Peter said, his voice wavering as he looked at Allison and Sophia. "For leaving me burned and broken for six years. Say it and I'll let her live." Sophia reached out and grabbed Allison's arm, pulling the girl just a little closer to her.

"I'm sorry." Kate whispered. Peter quickly used his claws to slit her throat. Sophia had known he wasn't going to let her go. Not when she was the one who had started the fire. The real reason behind the fire. Kate hit the ground, dead, and Sophia had hold Allison back from running to her. Peter sighed.

"I don't know about you two but that apology didn't sound very sincere." He turned his gaze towards the young girls. Sophia pushed the girl behind her, roaring at the Alpha as she stepped closer to them. A moment later, Scott and Derek both appeared in Beta form around them.

"Run." Scott told Allison and she was gone. Sophia let her fangs and claws come out. The three of them fought together against Peter. Once they were all down, Peter began to shift into his Alpha form. In all of her seventeen years, she had never seen a true Alpha form. He grabbed Scott, throwing him outside before following him. Sophia got up and ran out of the house just in time to watch as Stiles and Jackson threw Molotov cocktails at Peter, setting him on fire. She watched as Scott and Allison had a moment. She smiled softly, watching as Derek started to get up. She walked over to him, helping him up and out of the house. She watched as Scott turned his attention to Peter's body. Derek was kneeling over his uncle.

"Derek… don't." Sophia said, walking over to Scott, her arms wrapped tightly around herself to try and keep out the cold. Derek lifted one claws hand.

"Wait! No, no! Don't!" Scott called to him, trying to stop him but Peter was right. Derek had decided and nothing was going to change his mind. He slashed Peter's throat and Sophia leaned into Scott. Derek stood up and turned to the younger wolves, his eyes glowing an ominous shade of red.

"I'm the Alpha now." Derek said, his voice was distorted by the Alpha power.


	12. Omega

**A/N: Season Two! Yay! I was really excited to write this season so I hope you guys are ready to read it! Please leave reviews and fave/follow if you like it! It means a lot to me. The tumblr is now up and running, I'm under the same name! It's a work in progress but it'll work for you guys to get fanfic updates! Please follow that as well as following, favoriting, and reviewing the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Peter Hale was dead. Kate Argent was dead. So far things seemed to be going really well. Sophia was passing all of her classes and teaching Scott what she could about being a werewolf. It was a Saturday, Scott was with Allison and Stiles was still at the hospital with Lydia so Sophia decided to take a walk around the Preserve. She had been walking around for a half an hour when she caught the familiar scent of pine and leather.

"Aren't you supposed to be doing Alpha things?" She asked, not even turning around to the look at the older man as she continued to walk.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked and she chuckles.

"I think we're past the 'this is private property' crap." She finally turned to look at him, crossing her arms over her chest as she continued to walk backward.

"What's the matter with you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her and she did the same as she came to a stop.

"What's wrong with me? You gave Scott false hope about this whole thing. About the possibility that he could live a normal life so he would help you and then you come in and swoop up the power. I understand one reason you did it, Scott's young. He never would have been able to handle the Alpha power but you should have told him the truth from the beginning." She said, taking a few steps closer to Derek, poking him in the chest. He looked down at her hand, flashing his eyes red. She stepped even closer so that they were chest to chest. "Oh don't flash your eyes at me. You're not my Alpha. You don't scare me." She said before a piercing scream echoed through the air. They both paused, listening to it. It was louder than anything she had ever heard before. "Lydia?" Sophia whispered, turning to look around. She pulled out her phone from her pocket.

_**To Stiles (8:15 pm)**_

_**Is everything okay?**_

_**From Stiles (8:16 pm)**_

_**No Lydia screamed and then she was gone. Out the window in the bathroom.**_

_**To Stiles (8:16 pm)**_

_**I'm out at the preserve and I heard it all the way from here!? I have no idea what she is. I'll do some research and I'll let you know. I'll also let you know if I find her.**_

_**From Stiles (8:17 pm)**_

_**Thanks.**_

Sophia put the phone back in her pocket before looking up at Derek. He had a little more scruff these days but his eyes were still that unique shade of hazel. "I got to go but don't do anything stupid." She said, pointing the man as she began walking back towards the Hale house and her car.

**XXX**

A few minutes later, she was leaning against the side of the Jeep, waiting for Stiles to come out. He came out, walking quickly as he immediately walked over to Sophia and handed her Lydia's hospital robe. She took it and held it to her nose, taking in a few deep breaths, trying to lock Lydia's scent away to memory. She nodded before handing it to Scott. As Scott began trying to catch Lydia's scent, Allison ran up to the Jeep and got in. Stiles backed out and down the main road. Sophia got into her Challenger and followed them. She glanced at her phone when it rang; she picked it up and saw there was a text.

_**From Scott (8:46 pm)**_

_**Search Party. Argents. Two SUVs. Looking for Lydia.**_

Sophia sighed as she threw the phone down in the passenger seat continuing to follow Stiles. She rolled all of the windows down in the Challenger so that she would be able to catch Lydia's scent, even when driving. She thought about texting Derek to let him know but then decided that it wasn't worth it. She pressed the gas pedal down all the way trying to keep up with Stiles before making a sharp right. Scott's head was hanging out the window, which leaves so many dog jokes for her to say, but they were going the right way, she had caught Lydia's scent too.

**XXX**

They ended up at the Hale house. "She came here? Are you sure?" Stiles asked, turning to Scott.

"Yeah, this is where the scent leads." Scott said and Sophia nodded her head.

"Alright but has Lydia ever been here?" Stiles asked, turning to look at Allison.

"Not with me." She shook her head. "Maybe she came here on instinct, like she was looking for Derek." Allison said to Scott and it made sense.

"You mean, looking for an Alpha." Scott said back.

"Wolves need a pack, right?" Allison asked.

"Not all of them." Sophia said, looking around. She went up to the house to check for any signs of Lydia. As she was coming out of the house, she could hear Scott tell them others were coming. She closed the door, leaving it open a crack so that she could hear what they were saying. She peeked through the crack; Scott was hanging upside down while talking to Chris Argent, a few of his hunters next to him. Once Chris got up and left, Sophia walked out the door, smiling at the three other teens as they began walking closer to the house.

**XXX**

Sophia walked over to her boys outside of school. "Hey." She said, smiling when they both said it back. "What're we doing?" She asked.

"Did you hear about the grave robbery last night?" Stiles asked her. She shrugged, rocking her head back and forth.

"Derek mentioned something…" Both boys blinked in surprise.

"Derek?" They asked at the same time and she nodded.

"Yeah, Derek. I've been worried about him since he got the Alpha power. You saw how Peter went insane. Who knows if Derek'll be the next one." Stiles pointed to Sophia.

"She has a point." He said and she nodded. He shook his head, waving his arms around briefly. "Anyway, you're the test case for this, so we should be going over what happened to you." Stiles was pointing at Scott.

"What do you mean?" Scott asked.

"I mean, like what was going through your mind when you were turning, you know?" Stiles explained and Sophia rolled her emerald eyes.

"Allison." Sophia and Scott said at the same time, the latter looking at the former with a displeased look.

"Nothing else? Seriously?" Stiles asked.

"Nothing else mattered." Scott said, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "But that's good though, right? 'Cause the night that Lydia was bit, she was with you." He said, motioning over to Stiles. Stiles sighed, adjusting the strap of his bag.

"Yeah but she was looking for Jackson." He said before they all looked into the parking lot. A very familiar Porsche pulled up.

"Speak of the devil and he may appear." Sophia said, crossing her arms over her chest.

**XXX**

Class was soo boring! Sophia sighed, glancing out the window, letting her mind wander. Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her lap. She glanced up at the teacher before typing in her code and opening the message.

_**From Danno (11:02 am)**_

_**Hey, is your class close to the bathrooms?**_

Her brow furrowed in confusion. What?

_**To Danno (11:04 am)**_

_**I think so. Why?**_

_**From Danno (11:05 am)**_

_**Jackson just ran out of class with a bloody nose and we're taking a pop quiz. Could you check on him? No one should be in the bathroom other than him but you change with us Lacrosse boys, I don't think you would really care, lol.**_

Sophia rolled her eyes, glancing up at the teacher before typing again.

_**To Danno (11:06 am)**_

_**Yeah, I'll go see him now. I'll let you know.**_

_**From Danno (11:06 am)**_

_**Thanks, I owe you.**_

Sophia managed to get the bathroom pass before she walked down the hall. She glanced both ways down the hall before she took in a deep breath, stepping into the boy's bathroom. The last person she expected to see in there was Derek. She closed the door, locking it behind her and causing both boys to turn to her.

"This is the boy's bathroom you know." Derek said with a smirk. She rolled her eyes, pointing to Jackson.

"Why are you here? With him…" She asked, stepping closer. Derek ignored her, looking at Jackson. Sophia was having none of that though. She grabbed his arm and turned him around forcefully. He snapped his fangs at her and she growled right back.

"I won't submit to you Derek. You're not my Alpha." She said, glaring at him. Derek's fangs turned back into teeth before turning back to Jackson.

"Did you give Jackson the bite?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips. Derek ignored her in favor of beginning to talk with Jackson.

"You're looking a little pale there. You feeling okay?" Derek asked in an innocent voice while dusting off one of Jackson's shoulders, causing the boy to jump. Sophia let out a soft growl at the action.

"Never better." Jackson said, trying to cover it. Derek took a few steps around the boy but Jackson never let him out of his sight.

"If something's wrong, I need to know. You're with me now."

"Wait. With you? Me with… with you?" Jackson questioned, laughing. Sophia rolled her eyes. "What am I, your little pet? I mean, just because you gave me 'the bite' doesn't mean I'm part of your little wolf pack." Sophia scoffed.

"Join the club." She muttered under her breath, loud enough for Derek to hear. He turned to her and glared before turning back to Jackson.

"Sorry, but to be honest, you don't exactly show outstanding leadership qualities." Jackson said, looking Derek up and down. Sophia covered her mouth before the laugh could escape.

"Is that so?" Derek asked with a smile. Sophia raised an eyebrow. What was it she heard Lydia say to Allison once? _Someone could be falling in love with your smile, Derek._ He had a killer smile.

"Look, I've got my own agenda. Which doesn't involve running around the woods at night, howling at the moon with you, McCall, and Markus, okay?" Jackson said, looking between the two werewolves and Sophia raised an eyebrow. Jackson just kept talking until Derek noticed something dripping from Jackson's ear. Turning his head quickly, Sophia could see that it was blood. Black blood. "What is it? What's happening?" Jackson asked, his heartrate spiking as he looked in the mirror. Sophia stepped closer, Derek looked unsure and nervous.

"Body's fighting the bite." He said, backing away from Jackson.

"Why?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know." Derek said as he shifted into the shadows.

"What does it mean?" Jackson asked, turning to the new Alpha. Derek just shook his head, backing completely into the shadows. "What does it mean?!" Jackson said louder. Derek didn't answer and the next time Sophia looked, he was gone. Jackson began breathing heavily as he turned back to the mirror; more black blood began dripping from his nose. Sophia grabbed some paper towels and began wetting them.

"Hold still." She said, gently whipping the blood from his neck, ears, and face.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, looking over her shoulder at the wall as she worked. She glanced at him before turning her attention back to what she was doing.

"Everybody deserves someone to care about them." She threw the one paper towel away from wetting another one.

"You said that before, when he came after me in the house. Why do you care?" Jackson asked, pushing the girl away softly. She looked at his face, he was hurt and scared. There were unshed tears in his eyes and that wasn't the Jackson she knew.

"We're quite the same, believe it or not." She stepped forward, going back to cleaning. "I'm a born-wolf though. I've never had to go through the transformation. Anybody who does should have a strong support system. Scott had me and Stiles. You hardly even have Derek. You need someone that, if and when you turn, can teach you everything. If Derek's not going to be there you need someone." She threw the last paper towel away. He was clean, like nothing had ever happened.

"After everything I've done to you, McCall, and Stilinski… why…" Before he could finish his question, Sophia gently cupped both of his cheeks in her hands.

"Because you need someone. You need me. I'm going to be there for you whether you like it or not." She rubbed her thumbs back and forth soothingly, pressing her forehead to his.

"If you need me, just call me. Go back to class." He nodded softly as she let him go. He stood up and unlocked the bathroom, walking out and back to his class. Sophia sighed. Derek was going to be an interesting Alpha. She sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

**XXX**

_**From Scotty (4:35 pm)**_

_**Going to Kate's funeral for Allison. Stiles is with me. Don't wait up.**_

_**To Scotty (4:36 pm)**_

_**Alright, no prob. I'll see you later.**_

Sophia sighed and put her phone back in her pocket. She pulled out all of her homework and began working on it. Her parents were still at work so she had the house to herself. She glanced at her phone. Stiles and Scott were going to text her when they needed her, apparently they'd gotten caught by Stiles' dad and now they were going to where the ambulance was to see if it was Lydia. They told her to stay home that since they were already out they would take care of it. With a sigh, she went back to her homework and within an hour, had it totally done. Her phone went off twice in quick succession. She opened her phone, looking at the messages.

_**From Scotty (9:52 pm)**_

_**The ambulance was done by an Omega. The new Argents killed him. We're in trouble.**_

_**From Hale (9:55 pm)**_

_**The Argents have declared war. Be careful when you go out.**_

Sophia looked at the messages. Scott had said something about new Argents coming to town, apparently they were bad news. Of course shit can't be easy when you live in Beacon Hills.


	13. Shape Shifted

**A/N: Sorry it took so long! I've been dealing with some stuff and no motivation but I'm back! I'm really gonna try to write some more!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

"I'm serious! It's not like the last full moon. I don't feel the same." Scott said as the three of them walked through the halls.

"Derek and I told you it would get easier with time." Sophia said, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.

"Does that include the urge to maim and kill people like me?" Stiles asked, motioning to himself.

"I swear I don't have the urge to maim and kill you." Scott said, his voice getting softer as they walked into the locker room.

"You know, you say that now, but then the full moon goes up and out come the fangs and the claws and there's a lot of howling and screaming and running everywhere, okay?" Stiles explained, his voice just as hushed. "It's very stressful on me, so yes, I'm still locking you up." He turned to Sophia. "What about you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You've never had to lock me up. You didn't even know I was a werewolf last full moon." She said and chuckled as both boys nodded their heads. "Besides, you have me this time Stiles. Now that you know I can actually protect you." Scott pointed to her before Stiles shook his head.

"Fine." Scott said. "But I do think I'm in more control now. Especially since things are good with Allison." He said and Sophia rolled her eyes.

"Here we go." She said chuckling.

"Yeah, I'm aware of how good things are with Allison." Stiles said unimpressed.

"They're really good." Scott said and Sophia laughed.

"Thank you. I know."

"I mean, like, really good."

"Alright, I get it! Just please shut the hell up before I have the urge to maim and kill myself."

"Well, did you get something better than handcuffs this time?" Scott asked the other boy.

"Yeah I got something better than handcuffs." Stiles said, putting his bag down before opening his locker. As soon as the door was open, what seemed like miles and miles of chains fell out. The locker room went quiet and Scott and Sophia looked away from their friend. Finstock even came over and looked down at the chain.

"Part of me wants to ask. The other part says knowing will be more disturbing than anything I could ever imagine." Sophia nodded her head slightly. "So… I'm gonna walk away." He said before he walked away. Stiles refused to look at anyone at this point.

"That's good. That's a wise choice, Coach." Stiles called to the man. He sighed before the three of them kneeled down to gather the chains. As they did that, Sophia caught the scent of something. She looked up at Scott, seeing his eyes flicker between brown and gold, just like her green ones. She began looking over her shoulder, trying to find the guy that matched the scent. "Guys!" Stiles said, finally catching their attention, they both turned to him.

"There's another. In here, right now." Scott said quietly.

"Another what?" Stiles said, looking up at another boy who walked by.

"Another werewolf." Sophia said, looking up at Scott, who nodded softly. Stiles began looking around as well.

**XXX**

They'd changed for practice and then made their way to the field. Sophia sighed as she sat down, fiddling with her phone in her hand. A teenage werewolf. Sounds a lot like the work of a certain resident Alpha but she didn't want to get him involved if it wasn't him. She pursed her lips before chewing on the bottom one.

"Let's go! Line it up!" Coach yelled and Sophia put on her helmet and gloves and ran out there. She didn't even bother putting her hair into a ponytail this time. It was a little cooler out so her hair would help to keep her neck warm. Finstock explained the exercise before blowing his whistle, telling them to start. Scott had told Stiles and Sophia had a plan and when the whistle blew, he apparently put his plan into action. Scott ran out of the goal and hit the guy. Sophia shook her head, leaning over Stiles' shoulder.

"This was a horrible plan." Stiles nodded.

"I know." Stiles said, wincing. Jackson decided to sit this one out and Sophia nodded, she didn't blame him. Stiles hit her in the stomach, causing the air to rush from her lungs.

"What the hell?!" She hissed at him, her eyes flickering yellow. He pointed to the boy in front of them. She furrowed her brow but listened. His heartbeat was erratic and his panting sounded more like chuffing, like wolves do. _Number 14._ Who the hell was that? Finstock blew his whistle and he began running. He and Scott hit each other; both landing on their stomachs but when 14 looked up, Sophia could see his eyes were golden. She was sure hers and Scott did the same thing before Coach blew the whistle, bringing them out of it. Stiles hit her in the stomach again and she grunted. "The next time you do that I'm going to rip your throat out." Stiles turned to look at her. That was almost the same thing Derek had said to him when he was shot by the wolfsbane bullet. Stiles pointed, his dad and two other officers were making their way onto the field.

**xxx**

"They think his father was murdered." Scott said as he, Stiles, and Sophia stood off with the rest of the team as the boy, Isaac Lahey, was question by the police.

"Are they saying he's a suspect?" Stiles asked, looking between his two werewolf friends.

"I'm not sure?" Scott said, shaking his head softly.

"Why?" Sophia asked, looking over at the boy.

"Because they can lock him in a holding cell for 24 hours." Stiles answered.

"Like overnight?" Scott said, turning to him.

"During the full moon." Sophia said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How good are those holding cells at holding people?" Scott asked, looking at Stiles.

"People, good." Stiles answered.

"Werewolves, probably not good." Sophia filled in, shifting her weight slightly.

"Remember when I said I don't have the urge to maim and kill?"

"Yeah."

"He does." Isaac looked back at the three of them.

"I might take the rest of the day off. I might be able to work something out." Sophia said, uncrossing her arms and getting her phone out of her duffle bag.

"How?" Both boys asked and she looked up at them with a raised eyebrow.

"Just trust me and don't ask questions." There were no new messages. "I'll tell you when I have more figured out." She said, grabbing her bag and heading towards the locker room.

**xxx**

Sophia had gone to the Hale house but Derek was nowhere to be found. "What the hell…" Sophia mumbled to herself as she got back in her car.

_**To Scotty (1:35 pm)**_

_**Have you seen a particularly grumpy werewolf driving a sexy car?**_

_**From Scotty (1:35 pm)**_

_**Literally just pulled up and told me to get in. I'll tell you where we go.**_

_**To Scotty (1:36 pm)**_

_**Please and thank you. I got a bone to pick with that asshole.**_

She threw her phone down in the passenger seat before putting the car in drive and peeling out down the dirt road.

_**From Scotty (1:38 pm)**_

_**Isaac's house.**_

Sophia turned in that direction when she hit the hardtop road. She knew the general area of where that was. He was across the street from Jackson. She just had to find the Camaro.

**xxx**

She pulled up behind said Camaro, slightly down the road from the house. Everyone knew Derek's car and everyone knew hers. I mean, not many people drive a Cherry red Challenger. Sophia walked over to the two standing beside the car waiting for her. "Really? This seemed like a good idea to you." Sophia said, putting her hands on her hips as she stared Derek down. It didn't bother him one bit unfortunately.

"Let's go." He said, motioning for the two teens to follow him. They stepped inside, Scott holding a flashlight as he looked around.

"If Isaac didn't kill his father, who did?" Scott asked.

"I don't know yet." Derek answered softly.

"Then how do you know he's telling the truth?" Scott asked again.

"Because I trust my senses." Derek answered again and Sophia rolled her eyes. "And it's a combination of them. Not just your sense of smell."

"You saw the Lacrosse thing today." Scott said, seemingly embarrassed.

"Yeah." Derek said.

"Did it look that bad?" Derek laid a hand on Scott's shoulder, squeezing it.

"Yeah." Both born-wolves said as they made their way deeper into the house. They looked through most of the house, nothing too bad until Derek opened the basement door.

"You want to learn?" He asked and Sophia walked to the door before backing away. The emotion that came from the room, the smells… she didn't like them. She backed right into Derek, who placed a steading hand on her lower back. Scott began walking down the steps. "You don't have to come down." Derek said, leaning closer to whisper into her ear. She took in a deep breath before nodding. Derek slipped from around her, standing at the top of the stairs to look down at Scott.

"What's down there?" Scott asked, his footsteps hitting the stairs quietly.

"Motive." Derek answered simply.

"And what am I looking for?" Scott asked back to the older man. Sophia noticed that Derek didn't follow Scott down. He placed himself between the basement and Sophia. Must be some form of Alpha instincts. She is the only she-wolf around.

"Follow your senses." Derek spoke down to him when Scott hit the last step before stepping onto the floor.

"Why would you change Isaac?" She asked Derek, watching as Scott moved around the room.

"He asked for it." Derek glanced at her over his shoulder.

"So did Jackson and you see where that's at." He glared at her and she raised an eyebrow. "Remember Big Bad, you don't scare me." They watched as Scott moved towards a large chest freezer. Derek walked down the steps and turned on the flashlight he'd taken from Scott.

"Open it." He said to Scott, nudging his head at it. Sophia, even standing at the top of the steps, could see down to them clearly. Scott's emotion hit her like a ton of bricks and Sophia didn't want to know what the freezer was for.

"This is why he said yes to you." Scott said, still standing in the basement.

"Everyone wants power." Derek said as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

"If we help you," Scott said, motioning to Sophia, "then you have to stop. You can't just go around turning people into werewolves."

"I can if they're willing." Derek argued and Sophia growled, finally coming down the stairs. Both boys turned to her, Derek's own bleeding red.

"Jackson?! He was willing and you know what's happening to him and Isaac? Willing yes, knowing what he was getting into, no. Did you tell him? Probably only the minimal things! Did you even tell him about the full moon tonight?" Derek growled at her, deeply and throaty, a stand down type of growl. "Bring it big boy." She let her fangs elongate.

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop!" Scott said to them, waving his arms. Sophia continued to growl until her phone went off. She glared at him one last time before looking down at it.

_**From Stiles (7:46 pm)**_

_**Argents have sent a hunter to the station dressed as a deputy. They're going to kill Isaac, they have wolfsbane.**_

Sophia retracted her claws so that she could type.

_**To Stiles (7:47 pm)**_

_**On my way, with Derek and Scott right now. Be there soon.**_

Sophia looked up and boys and shook her head. "I'm out." She walked back up the stairs and ran down the street to her car. She started it and headed to the Sheriff's station. Her phone rang about half way there, she glanced at it. _Hale _flashed across the screen, with a sigh, she grabbed it and answered it.

"What?" She asked.

'_Pull over.'_

"No, I'm meeting up with Stiles to get Isaac." Sophia said, turning on her blinker to make a turn.

"_I know. Pull over. I'm getting in."_

"I don't want to even know how you know where I am or how you think you're getting in without me stopping but I think you've done enough for the boy." She said, hanging up and throwing her phone in the back. She sighed again before swerving off the road when something landed on the top of her car. She ended up in a ditch. She threw it in park and looked up at the roof, it was crushed in. Derek opened the passenger door and got inside. "Are you shitting me? Seriously? My car! My **vintage** car! What the hell is the matter with you!? Do you go brain dead on full moons, like… what the hell?" Sophia yelled at him, her eyes gold and her claws out.

"Drive." Derek ordered and Sophia snarled at him.

"I'm not one of your betas you can just order around and did you even think about the consequences of landing on my car!" Derek turned to her.

"Drive. Now."

"I'm not Stiles. You can't intimidate me." Her phone rang from the backseat. She undid her seatbelt and reached through the middle console to grab it. _Stiles_ it read. "He's a dead man. I'm telling you what Stiles. He's a dead man."

"_Um… who?" _He asked.

"Derek! The asshole jumped on the top of my car and now I have a huge dent! How the hell am I supposed to explain this to my parents?" Sophia said, rubbing her eyes. Stiles sighed.

"_Any other time, I would agree with you and tell you to kick him to the curb but we kinda need him. He can get us past the front desk and then you and me or whoever can get into the back to get Isaac." _Sophia sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Fine. Fine. I'm doing this for Isaac. No one else." Sophia flipped the car into drive, carefully pulling out of the ditch to get back onto the main road. "Where are you?"

"_Getting ready to pull in, how far out are you?" _Sophia glanced around.

"Two minutes." She answered.

"_I'll be there after you." _Stiles said and Sophia nodded. They said their goodbyes and they hung up. Derek remained silent until they pulled into the parking lot.

"Alright, we wait for Stiles and then get past the front desk." Sophia said turning off her car and turning off the headlights.

"I'll distract her." Derek said, getting ready to get out. Sophia laughed sarcastically before grabbing his arm.

"No, you're not going in there." She said, using some of her werewolf strength to pull him back into the car. He looked down at her hand before back up at her. She raised a defiant eyebrow before gripping his arm a little tighter before letting him go.

"I was exonerated." He said to her like she was supposed to know that.

"Okay but according to Stiles, you're still a person of interest. And you know, he is the Sheriff's son." She said with a dismissive shrug of her shoulders.

"An innocent person." Sophia raised an eyebrow at him.

"Okay then Hot stuff, what's your plan?" Sophia said, taking off her seatbelt and shuffling in her seat so that her back was against her door and her feet were on the center console between Derek and herself.

"To distract her." He said as if she should know. She chuckled.

"Well, there's a lot of ways of distracting people. You can talk to them, you can argue with them, you can punch them in the face; you can have sex with them. There are a ton of options here Big Bad, kinda need a description here." She said, waving one of her hands dismissively. If looks could kill.

"Well, I was planning on talking to her." He said, leaning back in his seat. She pursed her lips and nodded.

"Alright, throw something at me." She said, holding her arms out. Derek sighed, looking out the windshield before turning back to her.

"Dead silence. Great! Women love the strong silent type. Anything else?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. It's not possible to ooze sarcasm but if it was, the two of them would be up to their eyes in it. Derek rolled her eyes, rocking his head gently.

"I was thinking about punching you in the face." He looked at her and her eyes flashed as she flashed her fangs.

"You shouldn't hit girls." She said before her eyes and teeth went back to normal. Stiles pulled up behind them, turning off the Jeep before coming over to the driver's side. Sophia turned the key in the ignition before rolling the window down. Stiles stuck his head in.

"I can feel the tension." He said as soon as his head was inside, grabbing at the air. "So, what's the plan?" He asked.

**XXX**

Derek walked into the Sheriff's department slowly, just taking everything in until the deputy came back into the room. Sophia and Stiles followed him quietly, waiting until the pair had begun talking to move.

"Good evening, how can I help… you?" The teenagers peeked out from around the door, watching as the deputy, a woman, saw Derek. He gave her a real, charming smile.

"Hi." He said simply.

"Hi." She said back, taking him all in.

"Uh, I had a question." Derek began and Sophia rolled her eyes, mocking the two before Stiles nudged her. She glanced over at him and nodded. "Sorry, I'm a little… a little thrown. I wasn't really expecting someone…"

"Like me?" The deputy filled in. Stiles and Sophia made their way across the lobby, Stiles doing this weird spinning thing.

"Oh, I was going to say 'so incredilbly beautiful,' but, yeah, that'd be the same thing." Sophia rolled her eyes at Stiles before glancing towards Derek. She rolled her eyes once again at him. Stupid good looks. Stupid charm. Stupid bunny teeth. Stupid… him! Stiles veered off and went into his dad's office to get the keys while Sophia went on to the holding cells to find Isaac. Sophia stopped when she came to a blood trail. Who was bleeding all over a police station?

"The hunters here!" Stiles whispered to her as he grabbed her arm. She jumped what felt like three feet in the air before she turned to look at the boy.

"I'll find Isaac, you find the hunter." She said, taking off to the holding cells. Stiles made a noise of agreement, before going down a different hallway.

**XXX**

Sophia found the holding cells and found Isaac already busted out. He growled at her, his once blue eyes glowing the same shade of gold as hers. She looked at him, holding her hands up in a surrendering motion. "Isaac, you know me. Just listen okay…" He growled at her. She opened her mouth to say something again when the fire alarm began ringing. She turned to the entrance as the hunter dragged Stiles in and dropped him to the floor. The hunter looked around, momentarily distracted before Isaac grabbed him and began throwing him around the room. Sophia ran over and grabbed Stiles, moving him slightly behind the desk. Isaac easily knocked the hunter unconscious and Sophia stepped forward, her eyes gold and her fangs and claws out. She glanced behind her as Derek stepped on something glass, causing it to shatter. Isaac turned to the Alpha, looking at him for a moment before turning his attention to Stiles. Sophia pulled her lip back in a snarl before stepping in front of Stiles, blocking him from the new Beta.

Isaac snarled back, stalking closer to Sophia before Derek stepped in front of her, roaring. Isaac dropped to the ground and crawled as far away as he could get from the Alpha, covering his head with his arms. Sophia changed as well, watching the boy before turning to Stiles. "You okay?" She asked softly, kneeling down next to him. He nodded, glancing her over to make sure she wasn't hurt before turning to Derek. When Isaac looked back up at the Alpha, his transformation had completely slipped away and he was back to his regular human form.

"How did you do that?" Stiles asked. Derek turned to them and Sophia could just see everything that just happened going right to his ego. He had a smallest smirk on his face.

"I'm the Alpha." He said simply.

**XXX**

"Just go, I'll handle my dad." Stiles said, trying to push the girl towards the door.

"Are you sure?" She asked again and he sighed.

"Yes, now get the two fugitives out of here." She nodded her head, hugging Stiles before running out to her car. She hopped into the driver's seat and started it up. A quick glance through the car revealed Derek in the passenger seat and Isaac in the back. She put the car in drive, stepping on the gas to get back onto the main road.

"What happened to the roof?" Isaac asked quietly. Sophia turned to glare at Derek, who didn't even look at her, acting completely innocent.


	14. Ice Pick

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for the crazy amount of support! All of the views, faves, follows, and reviews are amazing! I hope you guys continue to read and let me know how I'm doing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia watched the gym class silently from the door. Scott and Allison are always fun to watch, the girl knocking him from the wall. Finstock then called Stiles and Erica to do the climbing wall. Sophia stepped a bit closer, she liked Erica. The girl was so sweet. Sometimes Sophia would eat lunch with her, taking a break from her boys to have a little girl time. She knew Erica enjoyed having a friend who didn't think she was weird because of her epilepsy. Stiles made it all the way to the top by the time Erica was only have way there. Sophia could hear her hyperventilating. Sophia made her way from the door over to the wall. "Erica? Dizzy? Vertigo?" Coach asked her.

"Vertigo's a dysfunction of the vestibular system of the inner ear." Lydia said and Sophia glanced at her before turning back to Erica. "She's just freaking out." Sophia glared at her this time.

"Erica." The coach called back up to her.

"I'm fine." Erica called down to Finstock.

"Coach, maybe it's not safe. You know she's epileptic." Allison said to the man.

"Why doesn't anybody tell me this stuff?" Coach asked and Sophia couldn't help but shrug. Coach tried to coax her to let go of the wall but she was still scared, sniffling loud enough Sophia could hear it.

"Erica, why don't you come on down. You're fine. I'll be right here." Sophia called up to the girl, looking up at her. She glanced at Stiles before looking back up at the blonde. Erica let go of the wall and gently came down, Sophia grabbed a leg when she could reach it and then her arm as she placed her feet on the ground. "See, everything's fine." She said with a smile, rubbing the other girl's arm. Erica smiled at her before she walked away. People were snickering and talking amongst themselves about her. Sophia rolled her eyes and glaring some of them that looked her way as she followed Erica, glancing at Scott as she walked by.

**XXX**

Sophia changed in the locker room, going back to her dark gray skinny jeans, black tank top, knee-high brown boots, and brown leather jacket. She walked over to her boys when she was done, braiding her hair back as she leaned against the locker next to Scott's.

"What do you mean tonight's not a good idea?" Stiles asked as he took his shirt off to change.

"I don't know." Scott said as he opened his locker, getting his clothes to change back into. "That thing we saw last night, Isaac missing, Allison's grandfather. All this stuff happening with Derek just doesn't feel right."

"No, you're not backing out. Do you want to know why?" Stiles said, turning back to Scott as he finished putting on his shirt. "Because you and Allison are obviously having quite a good time together. And you know who else wants to have a good time?"

"Me?" Sophia asked, raising a hand. Stiles tilted his head.

"Well, yes, Sophia but… Stiles! Stiles wants to have a good time. Many, many times. Several times in a row. In several different positions. Are you even listening to me?" Stiles asked but Scott looked down at his hands he was shaking. Sophia could feel her hands doing the same thing as she began panting before she ran out the door. She could hear Scott and Stiles following. The two of them made it just in time to catch Erica from hitting the ground after falling off of the climbing wall. He set her down on the ground.

"Put her on her side." Sophia said, putting her head in her lap. Scott rolled her over and held her hands as she continued to convulse.

"How did you know?" Allison asked.

"I just felt it." He said and Sophia nodded.

"I'll tell you more about it later." The girl said, petting down some of Erica's more wild curls.

**XXX**

"How did we know that she was going to have a seizure?" Scott asked Sophia as she got ready to get into the car to drive Erica to the hospital. She glanced at the car before looking back at the boy.

"You know how they have service dogs? Well, one type of service dog is actually a seizure response dog. After their owner has a seizure, they go get medicine, foot, water, a phone, whatever they were trained to get after a seizure. Some dogs learn the behavior of being able to alert their owners when they're getting ready to have a seizure." Sophia said, leaning against her car.

"So, we're like seizure dogs?" Scott asked and Sophia chuckled.

"Not always but I've been friends with Erica for a while and I always seem to know. I use it to my advantage to make sure that she's alright when they happen." She said with a shrug, reaching behind her to pop the door open. "I'm going to take her to the hospital. I'll see you later." She said, getting into the car.

"See ya." Scott said as he moved away from the car. Sophia started the engine, smiling over at Erica, who gave her a small smile back, before she made her way in the direction of the hospital.

**XXX**

Sophia sat in the waiting room of the hospital. Luckily, Melissa was on call and was able to get her in right away. Now all Sophia had to do was wait. She took in a deep breath through her nose when she caught it… pine and leather. "You've got to be shitting me." Sophia said as she got up and went into Erica's room. She was gone but the leather scent was strong and fresh. She kicked the wall, watching as it cracked under the force of her foot. "Damn it Derek!" She growled as she began walking down the floor, trying to chase down the scent. She tried to keep her claws, fangs, and eyes normal. He'd changed Isaac and Sophia knew exactly what he was here for. He wanted to change Erica.

The scent leads her down to the morgue but there was no one in there. The bed Erica was on in her room was there. She snarled, eyes flashing gold as she reached for her phone before stopping. She pursed her lips before shaking her head, taking in a deep breath before walking out of the morgue. She would deal with Derek herself, no need to get her boys involved just yet.

**XXX**

Sophia sat down beside Scott. "What's wrong?" He asked and she looked up at him. She was chewing her nails and biting her lip when she wasn't. She moved her hand away from her mouth, lacing her fingers together on the table.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it Scott." She said, it probably came out a little bitchier than she would have liked but oh well. The boy raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?" He asked and she glanced at him, he was trying to make himself smaller by leaning on the table, whether he knew it or not, and leaning closer to her. Classic pup behavior. She nodded.

"It's fine." She wiggled her fingers as Stiles came over, dropping the keys to the ice rink down.

"Pick you up right after work tonight and we'll meet at the rink, cool?" Stiles asked Scott. Sophia pulled out her phone, looking at it hard when the cafeteria went silent. She looked towards the doorway and here came Erica. She wore leopard print stilettos, a leather mini skirt, a white top, and a black leather jacket. Her once wild blonde hair was tamed, still retaining its curls and she wore makeup, dark eyes and red lips. Sophia almost crushed her phone in her hands as a deep growl left her. Lydia slammed her hands down on their table, causing the redhead to jump ever-so slightly.

"What the holy hell is that?" She asked.

"It's Erica." Scott said and Sophia stood up, following the girl out. Scott and Stiles were right behind her. Once outside, they watched Erica get into the passenger seat of an oh-so-familiar Camaro. Sophia pulled her lips back in a silent snarl as her eyes turned gold.

"Derek!" She yelled to him, trying to keep as much of the growl out as she could. Erica looked up at them and smiled before getting in and closing the door. Derek turned to them and smiled before he peeled out of the parking lot. "I'm out. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Sophia said, trying to talk around the fangs quickly filling her mouth.

"Wait! You're not coming to the rink tonight?" Stiles called to her.

"Not tonight." She said back over her shoulder, her voice becoming distorted by her fangs. She walked over to her car, unlocking the door before getting in, starting it up and peeling out. She shouldn't let Derek get to her like this but… that stupid Alpha cockiness was going to get them all killed.

**XXX**

The next day, Sophia met up with Scott as they went to confront Erica. The redhead had managed to go for a night run, allowing her to be out in the crisp, night air and clear her head. It didn't make her feel all that better but it was nice to get out. Erica was checking her make up in the mirror of her locker when the two Betas came up behind her. She sighed before turning around.

"Two's not enough for Derek. I know he needs at least three." Scott said to her. "So who's next?" She scoffs at him before turning around to close her locker. She then turned back to the other werewolves.

"Why does there have to be a next when we've already got you two?" Erica asked, stepping closer to the two of them.

"Who's next?!" Sophia asked, stepping up so that she was slightly in front of Scott. This wasn't the same girl that she used to eat lunch with. This was a completely different and she didn't want a Beta fight breaking out in the hall. Erica smirked at her.

"You know, I never knew what I looked like during a seizure until someone took a video of me once and put it online?" Erica said and Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"I don't care." She said.

"It happened during class." Erica continued on. "I started seizing at my desk and everyone was saying how they should put something in my mouth until some genius reads the card on my key ring which tells him not to cause it could break my teeth." Sophia took in a deep breath; she could smell the anger coming from the girl. "Do you know what happens next Sophie?" The blonde asked. "I piss myself and they start laughing." Erica took a step closer to Sophia and the redhead could feel Scott take a step back. "You know, the only good thing about seizures was that I never remembered having them. Until some brilliant jerk-off…" Erica pushed Sophia hard, sending her back into the lockers behind her. Scott had stepped out of the way just in time. Erica stepped into the redhead's space; there was only an inch in height difference, Erica being slightly taller. "Had to go and put cameras in everybody's phone." Erica reached up for Sophia's hair but she caught the hand quickly before pushing the other girl away. She smirked before walking off, winking at Scott as she passed.

"It's amazing how power changes people." Sophia said to Scott before she turned and began walking towards the cafeteria.

**XXX**

"Look Derek, this is how this is going to work. You're going to stop changing people. We don't need any more teen wolves in Beacon Hills. Besides, the more you have the less control you have and Erica, who was once my sweet little friend, might I add, almost got her throat ripped out a little earlier today… by me. So think about this if you're going to change someone else. I will find you and I will kill you. And remember, I'm not afraid of you Big Bad." Sophia hung up and sighed, putting her phone back into her pocket. She rubbed her forehead and ran her hands through her hair. Her phone rang, this time a text. She typed in her code and watched as the screen flashed, opening the text.

_**From Scotty (5:24 pm)**_

_**Meet me at the ice rink. Boyd is next.**_

_**To Scotty (5:24 pm)**_

_**On my way. For the record, I left Derek a nice little voicemail, in case you hear anything about that.**_

She typed before getting into her car and heading towards the ice rink, hoping they weren't too late.

**XXX**

"Boyd. We just want to talk." Scott said as the two of them walked out onto the ice while Boyd rode the Zamboni.

"Come on Boyd, please?" Sophia called out to him, her hands stuffed into her leather jacket pockets. "Did Derek tell you everything?" She decided to try and new tactic. "I'm not just talking about full moons. I'm talking about everything." Boyd stops the Zamboni and scoffed.

"He told me about the hunters." Sophia blinked and shook her head.

"And that's not enough for you to say no? Trust me on this, you don't want this. I was born this way, you guys have a choice." Sophia said, shifting her weight. "Whatever you want, there are other ways."

"I just want to not each lunch alone every day." Sophia glanced over at Scott.

"Boyd, if you're honestly looking for friends then let me tell you, you can do a hell of a lot better than Derek." Sophia said, pulling her hands out of her pockets.

"Can I just say you're being particularly nasty to Derek recently?" Scott said to her and she shrugged.

"He deserves it." She said.

"Wow, Sophia. That one really hurt." A familiar voice said and Sophia sighed, nodding to herself.

"Of course he's here." She muttered under her breath before turning around to face the Alpha.

"I mean, if you're going to review me, at least take a consensus." Derek motioned to Erica and Isaac who were standing by his side. Sophia pointed her finger, motioning to the three werewolves in front of her.

"Are the leather jackets required for your little gang or are they optional?" She asked and Derek looked down, chuckling.

"Erica, how's life been for you since we met?" Derek asked the blonde girl.

"In a word… transformative." She said, playing with a lock of her hair before she growled. Sophia's eyes flashed as she felt her hackles rise (in a metaphorical way, of course). Scott shuffled beside her, watching the other wolves.

"Isaac?" Derek asked the other boy.

"Well, I'm a little bummed about being a fugitive, but other than that, I'm great." He said.

"Hold on. This isn't exactly a fair fight." Scott said, stepping up in front of Sophia.

"Then go home." Derek said with a smirk. He looked at his two betas and they began advancing towards Scott and Sophia. Scott knelt down and punched the ice, creating cracks where his fist collided. Sophia rolled her neck and shoulders as she shifted into beta form.

"I meant fair for them." Scott said through his fangs. Sophia opened her now gold eyes, hissing at the two new betas. Scott growled.

**XXX**

In an even fight, two on two, Scott and Sophia could easily handle Isaac and Erica. Eventually, the two refused to get up from the ice. Sophia stood up and threw her head back, knocking her hair out of her face. "Don't you get it?" Scott asked Derek's three Betas. "He's not doing this for you. He's just adding to his own power, okay? It's all about him. He makes you feel like he's giving you some kind of gift, when all he's done is turn you into a bunch of guard dogs!" He slid Erica and Isaac, now unconscious over to the Alpha's feet.

"It's true." Derek said, looking up them. "It is about power." Derek began walking towards them, popping his claws free before his hazel eyes shifted to red. Sophia grabbed Scott's arm, pushing him behind her. He struggled before she turned to him.

"Stop." She said before turning back to the still advancing Alpha. Scott listened, taking a few steps back. Derek rolled his neck, snarling when his fangs dropped. Sophia dropped her stance slightly, ready for him. She growled back, her claws ready. By the time he reached her, he was in his beta form. They growled at each other before Derek reared back and head-butted her, knocking her off balance before slashing her stomach. He punched her a few times before hitting her in the stomach once. When she doubled over, he reached for her; she swung around and kicked him in the head. It knocked him back a few steps as he shook his head. He looked up at her and smirked with his mouth full of fangs.

She pressed a hand to her stomach. She knew Alpha wounds always take longer to heal. She roared as he came closer, trying to land a hit on his but he caught her arm, elbowing her in the face once before lifting her up and slamming her down onto the ice. Sophia gasped when her back connected before she turned her head and spit out blood. A moment later, Derek had his foot pressed down on her throat. She grabbed his ankle, trying to breathe as he crushed her windpipe. Scott snarled, ready to jump in. "No…" She said softly, looking up at the Alpha above her. She writhed on the ice, trying to get any sort of leverage so that she could get out from under him but it was no use. He released her and she rolled onto her side, curling in on herself as she coughed and spit out some more blood that had accumulated in her mouth. Scott came over when Derek had moved away from her, kneeling down. Boyd got off the Zamboni and came over to them.

"Don't. You don't want to be like them." Scott said, putting a hand on Sophia's shoulder.

"You're right." He said, lifting up his shirt to show where Derek had given him the bite. "I want to be like you two." He said with a small smile before turning to follow Derek. Scott opened his mouth to say something when Sophia groaned in pain, pressing harder to the wound on her stomach. She watched as the four of them left before she rolled over, leaning into Scott's side.

**XXX**

"Why aren't you healing?" Scott asked the girl as he helped her into Deaton's clinic. Sophia was panting and struggle to move even with Scott's help. Derek had really did a number on her.

"Because it's from an Alpha." She said as Scott sat her down on the floor, seeing as Deaton's exam table was currently occupied with a dead body.

"Hey doc." She said when she heard him come into the room. Scott looked up surprised. "I think you better have that talk with Scott now." She said, looking over at him and he nodded.

"I think so." He said, looking at the younger Beta.


	15. Abomination

**A/N: Here is the next chapter! Thank you to all of the views, faves, follows, and reviews! They're great and I love reading your comments! Don't forget to leave them! And don't forget I have a Tumblr under this name so you can keep updated with my stories! Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

"They're coming back, so we don't have much time to talk." Deaton said to Scott as he worked quickly to patch Sophia up. The she-wolf was leaning back against Scott, he was the only reason she didn't fall over. Deaton poured rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball before rubbing it over the length of the wound.

"She'll be okay, right?" Scott asked.

"Yes, she'll heal the same. Just not as quickly because of Derek." Sophia grunted as Deaton cleaned the wound.

"Okay, how do you know all this?" Scott asked, looking up at Deaton. "Actually, how do you know anything?"

"It's a long story." Deaton says, taping a piece of gauze to the wound. "What I can tell you is that I know about your kind. Your kind, I can help. This…" Deaton said, looking at the man lying on the table. "This is something different."

"Well, do you know what did it?" The boy asked.

"No, but the Argents will. And this is the crucial part. They'll have some kind of record or book. It'll have descriptions, histories, notations of all things they've discovered." Deaton explained.

"The bestiary." Sophia supplied as she tried to stand on her own two feet.

"All the things?" Scott stuttered. "How many different things are there?" He asked right before they heard the sound of a car approaching.

"Hide." Deaton said and Scott nodded, picking Sophia up bridal style before hiding in a closet. He sat her down on the ground before leaning against the wall by the door so that he could listen. Sophia trained her ears as well before placing a gentle hand on the wound. Apparently there was a cut on the back of the body's neck, releasing a paralytic toxin. Whatever it was it was fast, strong, and all it wanted to do was kill. Scott looked at Sophia and she looked up at him before closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the wall behind her. What the hell were they dealing with?

**XXX**

"Are you going to be okay?" Scott asked as he pulled up to Sophia's house, pulling her Challenger into its parking space. She nodded her head, opening the passenger door and getting out.

"Yeah, I should be fine." She said, taking the keys from Scott when he offered them to her.

"Okay, call me if you need anything. Or Stiles." She nodded her head.

"I will." He nodded before getting into his own car (his mom's car since she had a late shift) and leaving. Sophia sighed before going to the front door, opening it and checking around before going up to her room to lie down and heal.

**XXX**

It was about one in the morning when Sophia's phone went off. She groaned, stretching and realizing that she had healed almost completely. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand, opening it and seeing the text.

_**From Hale (12:56 am)**_

_**Come to this address. Need some help with the betas.**_

The next message was an address and it took Sophia reading the message several times before she actually understood that Derek wanted her to show up to this place and help Erica, Boyd, and Isaac. She shook her head.

"Nope. No way in hell. No! That's why you're still healing Sophia. He tried to kill you. No way are you helping him now." She said to herself rolling over in the bed. "Erica and Isaac aren't the same people. No, they're not getting my help." She sighed before closing her eyes. For about five minutes there was silence except for the sound of her breathing. "Damn it!" She said, throwing off the blankets and making her way to the closet.

**XXX**

She ended up at an abandoned subway depot. She sighed as she walked down the stairs; sitting about halfway down from the ground floor was Boyd. He looked up at her and offered a small smile. She smiled back before she looked over the railing, watching Derek throw Isaac around time and time again. Erica tried to jump down onto Derek from the top of the subway car but he just threw her aside as well. She landed next to Isaac, both groaning. Boyd watched on silently. Derek panted slightly before shaking his head and rolling his eyes, walking away from the two betas.

"Does anyone want to try not being completely predictable?" He asked. Erica stood up and jumped on Derek, the Alpha turned around just in time for the Beta to latch onto his front. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck before she kissed him. The Alpha even looked like he proceeded to kiss her back for a few seconds. Sophia's eyebrows shot up as she had this feeling go through her body. She wasn't sure what it was. It wasn't jealousy. She hated Derek; he tried to kill her at the ice rink not even 24 hours ago. She hated him… right? She pursed her lips as they continued to kiss for a few more seconds before Derek threw her off of him, right back onto the ground beside Isaac. She grunted when she landed. Derek whipped his mouth before glaring at Erica. "That's the last time you do that." He said as he began walking around the Betas. Sophia watched Boyd walk down the steps to join the other two Betas. She stayed where she was to watch the pack.

"Why, 'cause I'm a Beta?" Erica asked spitefully.

"No." Derek answered. "It's because I have someone else in mind for the both of us." Sophia's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Are we done?" Isaac asked from where he was sitting. "Cause I got about 100 bones that need a few hours to heal." He sat up, painfully. Derek looked apologetic for a moment as he walked over to the curly haired beta. He nodded his head as he walked over to him and kneeled down.

"Yeah?" He asked, holding his hand out for Isaac's arm. The Beta didn't really hesitate as he offered it to Derek.

"Uh-huh." The beta said before the Alpha did something that Sophia thought was more right up his alley. He broke Isaac's arm. The beta screamed in pain and immediately, Sophia's wolf went crazy. Her eyes flashed as her mouth filled with fangs. He was just a pup.

"101." Derek said simply. "You think I'm teaching you how to fight, huh? Look at me!" Boyd and Erica looked pained at the pain the Alpha was causing their pack mate. "I'm teaching you how to survive!" Derek let him go and stood up, looking up and finally seeing Sophia. "About time you got here." He said to her, turning and walking slightly away from his Betas.

"You're lucky I'm here at all after that shit that you pulled at the rink. I could have easily just ignored you." She said, walking down the remaining stairs and walking towards the Alpha.

"But you wouldn't. For them." He nudged his head back to the little pack of three.

"You're right. For their sake I came. What do you want?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're a born-wolf. You've done this before. You know how to survive." Derek said, walking slowly around the room. Sophia's emerald eyes followed every step he took. "I want you to pin me down." Sophia didn't move, she just raised one eyebrow.

"Did you not listen to me? You almost killed me at the rink! I'm still healing right now! Why the hell would I push my luck and go after you again? I'm not stupid." She asked, uncrossing her arms to put them on her hips. Derek sighed and rolled his eyes, turning his back to the four.

"I thought you would be better than that." He said and Sophia made her move. She jumped at the Alpha, getting the drop on him. She hit him hard in the back, knocking their combined weight forward. He was unable to balance in time and ended up hitting the ground hard, grunting. Sophia was pretty sure he hit his head on the concrete as well… serves him right. Sophia managed to get one clawed hand around his neck and he froze in his struggles. "Let me up." He said, glancing up at her out of the corner of his eyes. She sat on his back a moment longer before she got up and dusted off the knees of her jeans.

"And that's how you do it. Being a born-wolf, you should know better than to turn you attention; eyes, ears, and all, away from you enemy." She said, turning to look back at him as she walked towards the stairs. She could hear Derek growling softly behind her and she could feel all four eyes on her. She ignored them all as she continued up the steps. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going home to sleep." Sophia made her way out of the depot and back to her Challenger, driving back home to see if she could get some more sleep before school tomorrow.

**XXX**

Sophia was up all night and couldn't get to sleep so, after talking to her parents before they left for work, she stayed home. She got up about noon, ate and did homework before her phone went off. It was Stiles.

"Hey." She said as she pressed the phone to her ear.

'_Hey, where are you? We kind of need you.' _He said, it sounded like he was in the hallway at school.

"I'm at home. I didn't sleep well last night." Sophia decided to leave the part with Derek out.

'_Oh, okay. Hey listen, what was the name of that book that Deaton told you and Scott about?'_ Stiles asked.

"Oh, the bestiary? Yeah, if we could find that we'd be in good shape." She said, going back up to her room to check and make sure that everything was in her lacrosse bag for the game that night.

'_I think you mean bestiality.' _Scott said with a giggle and she realized she was probably on speaker phone with them. She knew they were somewhere secure, Stiles would be extra cautious about someone hearing what they were talking about. Maybe he wasn't in the hallway but she did know they were at school.

"No Scott, I mean a bestiary. Remember, it keeps the records of everything they've hunted. I don't know where it would be but you have to find it." She said, zipping up her bag.

'_Do you think Allison would know where it is?' _Stiles asked her and Scott. She couldn't hear what Scott said because she put her phone down on the bed while putting her bad next to the door.

"I don't know. Why don't you go ask her?" Sophia suggested.

'_I will. You going to be at the game tonight?' _He asked and Sophia rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

"Since when am I not at Lacrosse games?" She asked.

'_Since you were helping Derek during the time his crazy uncle was alive.'_

"Uh, don't mention _his_ name any more. I am so over him since what happened at the rink."

'_Yeah, Scott told me. Are you okay?'_

"Good as new and ready to play some Lacrosse."

'_Good, we're going to need you tonight.'_

"Alright, see you tonight." She said with a small smile.

'_See you tonight.' _Stiles said and she heard a small bye from Scott before they hung up. She sighed and sat down on her bed, pulling her book bag closer so she could pull the rest of her homework out.

**XXX**

Sophia smiled at a couple of the boys on the team when she entered the locker room. As per usual, she went to her corner and got ready. She smiled when she heard Scott and Stiles walking up behind her. "You ready?" Scott asked and Sophia nodded. She fist-bumped them both before grabbing her stick, gloves, and helmet before making their way to the field.

"Remember, show 'em some girl power!" Stiles called to her. She chuckled, giving him the thumbs up before putting on her helmet and running out to the field to warm up.

**XXX**

Sophia sighed; the 'Abomination' was taking everyone out. He was a one man wrecking crew. She jumped when someone grabbed her arm; she was a little surprised to see Jackson. He bumped their helmets together.

"Since McCall isn't going to do anything, you need to run him into the ground." He said to her.

"Me? Seriously? I'm a girl." She said and Jackson hit her helmet a little harder.

"Which is why no one will ever see it coming. Come on; put the were-strength to good use." He said before hitting her again. Her eyes flashed gold.

"Hit me again and I will." She said, growling slightly and Jackson smirked.

"Let's do it." He said and Sophia hit him this time, chuckling at the glare he threw her way.

**XXX**

Danny got hit pretty hard. He was seeing four fingers instead of two. Sophia sighed and rubbed his back, looking at Finstock.

"Say two." He said to Danny.

"Two?" Danny questioned.

"Coach, he has a concussion. There's no way he's going back in." She said but Finstock pushed him back in, throwing him his stick.

"You're still one player, Coach." The Referee called as Sophia put her helmet back on. She ran out to the field.

"You okay, Danno?" She asked and Danny looked at her.

"I hope so." He said and she patted him lightly on the shoulder.

"Just stay away from the action and you'll be fine." Danny nodded and Sophia offered him a small smile before walking deeper out into the field. She looked up at the stands and saw Boyd taking off his coat. Sophia looked around for Scott, shrugging her shoulders when she found him. They paused the game for five minutes, long enough for Boyd to get dressed and make his way back to the field. Sophia bumped shoulders with him when she moved into position. She looked over her shoulder and saw that he was watching her. She nodded just as the whistle blew. No one tried to stop the Abomination but when he hit Boyd, he went flying back. Sophia looked at Boyd and shook her head with a small smile on her face. He took off his helmet, holding it in the air as he eyes shined gold. Sophia's phone began going off, she could hear it from the field even with all of the yelling and cheering. She patted Scott on the shoulder before she ran over to her bag and opening the text.

_**From Stiles (9:13 pm)**_

_**Help! Pool! Erica!**_

The girl sighed before grabbing everything that was hers and running into the locker room. She was (once again) throwing the game to help with something supernatural. She managed to get off her gloves and all of her pads before she changed her basketball shorts into a pair of 'Beacon Hills Lacrosse' sweats. She changed her cleats to her regular tennis shoes. She left her jersey on and her hair up as she slammed her locker closed and ran for the pool. She slowed when she saw Derek with Erica and Stiles. She sighed, causing Derek's eyes to flicker from Stiles to Sophia before going back to the boy.

"Skin was dark. Kind of patterned. I think I actually saw scales." She could hear Stiles explaining as she walked closer. It must have been when Scott saw the other night and what Stiles saw when the mechanic was killed. "Is that enough?" Stiles glanced over his shoulder when he heard Sophia. She could see him straighten up, as if now that she was there he was braver. That was probably the case. "I hope that's it because I have somebody I really need to talk to." Sophia glanced at him before looking back up at Derek. The Alpha just watched Stiles and the boy grunted. "Alright, fine. Eyes. Eyes are yellowish and slitted. It has a lot of teeth and a tail too." Stiles explained and she noticed Derek looking at the balcony above them. Sophia's eyes narrowed as she trained her ears. Something was above them. She and Stiles turned at the same time to see the exact creature above them. It growled and Sophia pushed Stiles behind her and the other two werewolves. It jumped down and Derek growled before it swiped Erica's feet out from under her, knocking her into a wall and unconscious.

"Run!" Derek turned to Stiles, pushing the other boy away from them.

"But…" Stiles began and Sophia turned to him.

"Go Stiles! Find Scott!" She ordered him before he nodded and took off running. Derek turned to make sure the boy was gone before the creature came at them. Sophia moved at the last second but it managed to scratch Derek on the back of the neck.

"Derek, your neck." She said, remembering what Deaton had said. If this was the creature that killed that hunter, they were in for a shitload of problems now. The Alpha reached back to touch his neck before he began to fall. Sophia bolted over and caught him, grunting slightly at the dead weight he'd become in her arms. She noticed that the creature had backed off so Sophia took the opportunity to try and get Derek out of there. She put his arm around her neck, putting one around his waist as she tried to help him out of the building. She could hear it lurking around but she didn't see it and she really didn't want to stop to find it.

"Call Scott…" Derek said to her and she sighed.

"Yeah, I would if I remembered my phone." She said, grunting slightly and shifting Derek weight.

"You don't have your phone?" Derek asked and Sophia could hear the annoyance in his voice.

"No I don't, sorry about that. Next time you decide to take one of my best friends remind me to bring my phone when I come to find him." She said, glancing around, hoping her own annoyance came through as clearly. As she looked around again, she hit a wet spot and slipped. She hit the ground, using her arm to catch herself but Derek slid right into the pool. When she did, she hit a wet spot and slipped. This caused her to hit the ground but Derek to slide right into the pool. The beta looked at the pool, weighing her options. "This could all be over if I just let him sink to the bottom." She said to herself. She sighed before jumping in after him. She managed to grab the Alpha and drag him back to the surface, holding him up, both gasping for air. Now she was able to look around, she didn't see the creature anywhere. "Do you see it?" She asked.

"No." Derek said.

"Hey, maybe if we're lucky it's gone." She said hopefully before its hiss filled the room. Sophia glanced around before looking at Derek, who looked at her.

"Maybe not."

"Yeah, didn't think we were that lucky." She said, trying to push back some of the hair that got loose from her ponytail out of her face.

"Will you get me out of here before I drown?" Derek asked and Sophia looked at him.

"Really? That's what you're worried about?" She asked. "Did you happen to notice the thing out there with multiple rows of teeth?"

"Did you notice that I'm paralyzed from the neck down in eight feet of water?!" He asked, almost yelled, at the girl. She turned to him, glaring slightly.

"Did you notice I jumped my ass in here to save you when I could have easily let you drown? I may be a beta but I can teach them what they need to know. You should be grateful to me." She said before looking around. "I don't see it." She mumbled, spitting out some water before making her way towards the edge, dragging Derek along with her.

"Wait, wait, wait. Stop, stop." Derek said and Sophia stopped, looking at him before looking at where he was directing her. The thing was just slinking around the pool as if it was waiting for them to come out. It slinked around the pool once more before leaning over the edge; it touched the water before backing off as if it had been burned.

"Huh?" Sophia muttered before spitting out some water again. "So swimming isn't its forte." Sophia tried to adjust Derek's position so that he was a little more out of the water. She wasn't sure how many more times the creature circled them before Sophia shook her head. "I don't know how much longer I can do this." She said, starting to sink under more. Erica wasn't too far away from the pool and Sophia was sure that she had seen a phone in the blonde's jacket pocket.

"No, no, no! Don't you even think about it!" Derek told her, trying to keep himself above water as the girl sunk more.

"Look, I don't like you and you don't like me. I definitely don't trust you but can you trust me, just one time?!" Sophia said, looking at the Alpha.

"No!" He said firmly.

"Okay, well just remember here, Big Bad, I'm the only thing keeping you alive right now." Sophia said, her voice gurgling at the end as she dipped a little under the water. She kicked her legs a little harder, so she could spit the water out.

"Yeah." Derek panted. "And when the paralysis wears off, whose gonna be able to fight that thing, you or me?" Sophia looked at him.

"So that's why I've been holding you up for the past _two hours!?_ I could fight that thing on my own you know, I was saving your ass!" She said, looking at the man.

"Yeah, you said so yourself. You don't trust me and I don't trust you. But you, Scott, and Stiles need me to survive and that's why you're not letting me go." He said as if to really make a difference in what Sophia had already decided. Sophia pursed her lips and nodded her head before she went under, ducking out from Derek's arm. "Sophia!" He yelled to the girl before he went under. She began swimming over to where Erica was. Sophia kept an eye on the creature and was almost to Erica when it reached out, almost catching her with its claws. She swam back out to where she had dropped Derek. Apparently her plan had a few flaws in it but it made her feel better that Derek was underwater for a few seconds. Sophia thought about going for the phone again before she sighed and took in a deep breath before going underwater. She swam eight feet down to grab Derek and drags him back to the surface. When they broke the water, they were both gasping for breath. "Tell me you got him!" Sophia looked at him and spit out some water before looking around for the creature. She wasn't sure how much longer she stayed like that before she adjusted her hold on Derek's chest.

"Honestly, I don't know how much longer I can stay like this. I need something to hold onto." She said, looking around. It had been over two and a half hours, even with werewolf stamina that was ridicules. She pulled Derek up a little harder to keep him from going under. She managed to get to the edge of the pool, almost grabbing a hold of the diving board before they both went under. Suddenly, they were both yanked out of the water and back onto dry land. She heard a roar and the creature growling. After catching her breath, she opened her eyes to see Scott in Beta form, she also saw Stiles beside her, making sure she was okay before moving onto Derek. She sat up and grabbed a hold of Derek, helping him sit up. He looked up at her before letting the Beta take his weight, his head resting on the right side of her chest as they looked at Scott.

**XXX**

Scott's laptop was on the trunk of his car as they looked through Gerard's bestiary. "Is that even a language?" Stiles asked.

"How are we supposed to figure out what this thing is?" Scott asked and Sophia shrugged. She was sitting beside the computer on the trunk, wrapped up in one of Scott's jackets.

"It's called a Kanima." Derek said as he came over with Erica.

"You knew the whole time." Sophia said, sliding off the trunk, glaring at the Alpha.

"No." He said. "Only when it was confused by its own reflection."

"It doesn't know what it is." Scott said, fitting the pieces together.

"Or who." Derek supplied.

"What else do you know?" Stiles asked sarcastically.

"Just stories." The Alpha said. "Rumors."

"But it's like us?" Scott asked.

"It's a shape-shifter, yes. But it's not right. It's like a…"

"Abomination." Stiles filled in, looking around their group. Derek nodded his head softly. He and Erica turned to leave.

"Derek." Scott said, causing the Alpha to stop and turn around. "We need to work together on this. Maybe even tell the Argents."

"You trust them?" He asked.

"Nobody trusts anyone." Sophia said, looking into Derek's hazel eyes, reflecting back on what they had said while they were in the pool. He looked into hers and she could have sworn she saw a softening of his cold, hard exterior.

"That's the problem." Scott said. "While we're here arguing about who's on what side, there's something scarier, stronger, and faster than any of us, and it's killing people! And we still don't know anything about it!" Derek turned his attention from Sophia to the younger beta.

"I know one thing." He said. "When I find it, I'm gonna kill it." He said as he walked away. Sophia sighed before rubbing her forehead.

"I'm exhausted from holding that lug up for almost three hours. I'm going home and going to bed." She said, walking to the locker room to get her stuff before going to her car.

"You want me to drive?" Stiles asked. "I mean, Scott's got to pick up his mom anyway and I don't have my Jeep, it's still in impound." Sophia rubbed her eyes.

"If you don't' mind…" She said quietly and Stiles smiled.

"What're best friends for?" He said, walking into the locker room with her.

"Calling the other werewolf best friend when you're trapped in a pool by an apparent Kanima so she doesn't have to hold up the ungrateful, probably almost 200 pound Alpha in eight feet of water all by herself." She said, putting her bag over her shoulder.

"That's oddly specific." Stiles said with a small smile and Sophia chuckled before pushing the boy to the parking lot.


	16. Venomous

**A/N: Sorry it took so long! School has been crazy but I have exam week this week but then I can write more! Please fave, follow, and review! And if you like this story, maybe you would like my collection of one shots '**_**You're Everything A Big Bad Wolf Could Want'.**_** I'm always looking for new prompts for that one and I would love if you would check it out! And don't forget I have a tumblr to keep everyone updated on the stories, under the same name! Please enjoy the new chapter! **

**Oh and thank you everyone who has read this story! 10K views is insane! I'm glad you all are enjoying it! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Classes went on as normal for Sophia. She hadn't heard from or seen Derek since the night she held him up in the pool. She wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing or not. It was Sophia's free period and she decided to hit the gym. When she got there, she grabbed a volleyball and began bouncing it against the wall. Volleyball had always been her second favorite sport, next to Lacrosse, of course. She was spiking the ball against the wall when she heard her phone go off from where her bag was sitting. She grabbed the ball when it bounced back to her before she made her way over to it and grabbed her phone out. She slid it open and typed in her passcode.

_**From Scotty (10:35 am)**_

_**Jackson was tested by Derek to see if he was the Kanima. Isaac and Erica are going after Lydia now. We're in chemistry. Someone needs to talk to Derek.**_

_**To Scotty (10:36 am)**_

_**Scotty, you know you're my favorite little beta but that just isn't going to fly. I don't want to see hide nor hair of Derek anywhere near me.**_

_**From Stiles (10:37 am)**_

_**Please, for Lydia.**_

_**To Stiles; Scott (10:37 am)**_

_**I'll see what I can do. Keep things one and two under control until I tell you otherwise.**_

Sophia locked her phone again and put it into her pocket. She tossed the ball in the air and spiking it with a little too much force. The force blew a hole in the ball, causing it to deflate quickly. Sophia winced before grabbing the ball and her bag. She threw the ball in the trash as she left the gym, rubbing her forehead. She was having these conflicted feelings about Derek. She wanted to hate him (and she really did) but he was just trying to keep the betas (Scott and herself included) safe. He was just going about it in all the wrong ways. Even when she was mad at him, she couldn't stay mad long. His attractiveness was a hinder… sometimes it helped but it was mostly a hinder.

_**From Scott (10:46 am)**_

_**Derek outside. Where are you?**_

_**To Scott (10:46 am)**_

_**The gym. Do you want me to wait for you?**_

Sophia stopped in the middle of the hall to see what Scott said. The reply was pretty fast.

_**From Scott (10:47 am)**_

_**Yeah. We'll be there soon.**_

Sophia nodded her head softly before turning around and making her way back towards the gym. She glanced around as she made her way towards the teacher's empty office. She popped her claws free before using one to pick the lock. Once the door was open, she stepped inside and closed the door behind her before flicking the light on. It didn't take long after that before Scott, Stiles, and Allison came into the room.

"Derek is outside waiting for Lydia." Scott said after he closed the door behind him.

"Waiting to kill her?" Allison asked.

"If he thinks she's the Kanima, then yes, especially after what happened at the pool." Sophia said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's not her." Stiles said firmly. He really believed it wasn't her.

"Stiles, she didn't pass the test, man. Nothing happened." Scott said to the other boy.

"Wait. What test?" Sophia said, looking at the three younger teens.

"She was paired up with Isaac when our experiments were done. It was a crystal that you could eat. We think Isaac put the Kanima venom in it." Allison explained to the redhead and she nodded.

"He did the same thing to Jackson but he ended up paralyzed from the neck down." Stiles said as well before he turned back to Scott. "It can't be her."

"It doesn't matter because Derek thinks it's her." Allison said and Sophia nodded softly. "So either we convince him that he's wrong or we've got to figure out a way to protect her."

"I really don't think he's gonna do anything here, not at school." Scott said, looking over at Sophia for confirmation. She raised an eyebrow and shrugged her shoulders.

"He shouldn't." She said, looking around their little group.

"What about after school?" Allison asked and Scott sighed. "What if we can prove that Derek's wrong?"

"By 3:00?" Stiles asked.

"There could be something in the bestiary." Allison said helpfully, though a bit unhelpfully, really.

"Oh, you mean the 900-page book written in archaic Latin that none of us read?" Stiles asked. "Good luck with that."

"Actually I think I might know someone who might be able to translate it." Allison said, looking between the other three people.

"Sophia or I can talk to Derek; maybe convince him to give us a chance to prove that it's not her." Scott said, looking at Allison. Sophia raised her hand.

"How did I get into this, talk to Derek, nonsense?" She asked, shrugging her shoulders and waving her hands around.

"He listens to you… kinda." Stiles said. "Hey, you held him up in an eight foot pool for over two hours. He should listen to something that you say." Sophia rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I'll give it a shot." She said, crossing her arms again.

"But if anything happen, you guys let me and Sophie, handle it, okay?" Scott said, looking at Allison and then Stiles.

"What does that mean?" Allison asked, looking concerned.

"I mean you can't heal like we do. I just don't want you getting hurt." Scott explained before Allison turned to reach into her bag. She pulled out a crossbow.

"I can protect myself." She said. Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"Damn, I knew there was a reason I liked her." The older girl said before Allison offered her a dimpled smile. Scott and Allison had a moment and Sophia looked over at Stiles. "And you do the same for me, okay?" He nodded his head, picking up Allison's crossbow. "Don't play with that." Sophia whispered to the boy. He scoffed before Sophia turned her attention back to Scott and Allison. Apparently, Stiles didn't listen because as Scott tried to leave, Stiles accidently fired an arrow at the other beta. Scott was quick enough to turn around and catch it at the last second. Sophia's eyes widened before she and Allison turned to the boy. Allison held her hand out for it and Stiles placed it in her open palm quickly.

"Sorry. Sorry." He said to both of them. "It's a sensitive trigger on that." He said, pointing to the crossbow which Allison put back into her bag. Sophia rolled her eyes and chuckled.

**XXX**

Sophia walked out onto the Lacrosse field, trying very hard to look threatening while trying not to get her heels stuck in the dirt. "Boyd, I want to talk to Derek." She said as she got closer, her mid-back length hair blows behind her slightly as she walked. The bigger beta was easy to pick out from his pack mates.

"Talk to me." The bigger teenager said as he slowly began to walk towards Sophia. She kept her eyes on him at all times. She had been beaten up by Derek's pack enough to know that you never take your eyes off of them.

"Look, I don't want to fight." The girl said, holding up her hands in a surrendering motion.

"Good, cause I'm three times the size of you." Boyd said with a smirk and she raised an eyebrow and stood up even straighter. They were of the same rank if they were in a real wolf pack but she was a born-wolf, which should put her of higher standards. Even so, his larger form was a little intimidating.

"So…" She said, coming to stop in front of him. The boy smirked. "You wanna know what I think?" He tilted his head. "I'm three times as fast." She managed to duck under Boyd's arms when he reached for her before she tackled his waist, knocking him off balance. She made sure to try and slam him into the ground as hard as she could. He quickly got back to his feet as Sophia stood and she hissed at him, her eyes gold as he took a step closer to her.

"She failed the test." Derek said and Sophia jumped, turning to the Alpha. Where the hell had he come from? Boyd dusted off his jacket as he watched Sophia.

"Seriously, I'm sure we had this conversation a few months back, about you and this whole just appearing thing. Maybe I should put a bell around your neck that way you jingle whenever the hell you come around me. And apparently…" Sophia began, motioning between Boyd and Derek, "leather jackets are required for your little club 'cause now all of you are wearing them." She crossed her arms over her chest and shifting her weight, having to catch herself before she fell; her heel dug into the ground and knocked her off balance. She quickly pulled it out and tried to steady herself again, remaining on the surface this time. Derek ducked his head to hide his smile. "And about the test, it doesn't prove anything. Lydia's different."

"I know, at night she turned into a homicidal walking snake." He said and she growled at him.

"I'm not going to let you kill her." He raised both eyebrows before turning to Boyd, who looked at him and smirked before turning back to the redheaded beta.

"Who said I was going to do it?" He asked and Sophia's brow furrowed. She glanced down at the ground before it all made sense. She glanced back at the school.

"Shit…" She muttered, covering her face with her hands. She uncovered her face and made a move towards the school before Boyd has one huge arm around her, knocking her down to the ground. He made sure to knock all of the air out of her lungs. She groans as she lies there, coughing when she tried to take in a deep breath. "What the hell is it with you and your pack beating me up?" She wheezed. "Next fucking time, I'm fucking sending Scott." Sophia said as she glared up at the Alpha who was still in her line of sight.

"Since you reawakened your powers Sophia, I haven't quite been able to understand why you suddenly think that you have to and can protect everyone." Derek said as he watched the girl roll onto her side to try and breath. "It doesn't matter though, Lydia has killed people and she's gonna do it again and next time, it's going to be one of us."

"What if you're wrong?" Sophia said, looking up at the Alpha.

"She was bitten by an Alpha. It's her."

"So was Jackson." She said sitting up, now able to breathe a little easier. "And a shitty Alpha at that." Derek growled at her, his eyes flickering red. She rolled her own. "What'd I tell you Big Bad, that doesn't scare me. Besides, you and I both saw that thing up close and personal. It's nothing like us."

"But it is!" Derek said. "We're all shapeshifters. You don't know what you're dealing with. It happens rarely and it happens for a reason."

"Alright then smartass, what's the reason?"

"Sometimes the shape you take reflects the person that you are." She watched him as he took a step forward, offering her his hand.

She looked between it and his face, debating. She sighed, taking his hand as he helped her up. He pulled her with a little more force than necessary and they ended up chest to chest when Sophia was back on her feet. Their noses were inches apart. Sophia gasped in shock as she put her free hand on his abs to steady herself as he put his free one on her hip. Their hands that were still clasped together caught between their chests. Being this close, Sophia could see that Derek's eyes weren't just hazel. They were an amazing shade of green hazel with some flecks of gold, blue, and gray. It was ridicules how beautiful they were. It was also ridicules how being this close to him had her sense of smell going haywire. Pine trees and leather. That was his scent. Sophia knew it right away and it was so strong it was making her knees weak. She licked her lips subconsciously and Derek followed the movement with his eyes before looking back up into her own emerald ones. "Even Stiles calls her cold-blooded." He said softly to her. She stuttered over her words for a moment.

"Well, what if she's immune?" Sophia asked, just as softly. "What if she's got something else inside of her that makes her immune to the bite, which is why she didn't get paralyzed?" It seemed like a good theory.

"No one's immune!" Derek said, taking the smallest step back from her. "I've never seen it or heard of it. It's… It's never happened." He said forcefully, Sophia was sure he was trying to pull her onto his side but Sophia had a little back up plan.

"What about Jackson?" She said, raising an eyebrow. That seemed to be her signature look around all of the freaks in this town. Derek looked into her eyes again and she could hear his heartbeat speed up slightly. "You gave him the bite and now nothing's happened, that's why you tested him." Derek's mouth formed a tight line.

"Sophia." Derek said, turning away from the girl, taking a step back before she grabbed his jacket and pulled him a step closer again. He looked back at her.

"You and I both know that the bite either turns you or kills you. For all I know you were probably hoping that he would die. I mean, I did have to save him from you once. But you bit him, nothing happened and you have no idea why and that just eats you up inside, doesn't it?" Derek glared at the girl, his breathing coming out slightly labored. "Scott has a theory. That Lydia is somehow immune and she passed it onto Jackson. Right now, he seems pretty right."

"No!" Derek said firmly, shaking his head softly. He barely opened his mouth to answer, like he was trying to hold back his shift.

"Derek, you cannot do this!"

"Look, I can't let her live!" Derek almost yelled, grabbing the girl's arms in a tight grip. It wasn't as hard as it could have been but it was still forceful. "You out of all of them should know that!" She licked her lips again, biting her bottom one.

"I was hoping that I could convince you and you would give us some time to prove you wrong…" The girl lifted her arms and placed them on his elbows, gripping the leather of his jacket hard. "I really wasn't counting on it." She looked at him and smirked. She knocked one of her arms free before reaching up and tangling it in his hair and pulling him down hard. His other hand gripped her arm hard. "Gotta run." She whispered, kicking Derek back hard before turning around and kicking Boyd. They both fell and she took that opportunity to run back towards the school. She pulled out her cellphone. "Please tell me you got her out of there?"

'_Plan D didn't work?' _Stiles asked.

"Nope, not the right outfit for that one." She said with a smirk, looking back over her shoulder to make sure they weren't following her.

'_Alright, you know where we're meeting.'_

"See you there." She said, hanging up before putting the phone back into her pocket. She got to her Challenger right after Stiles' Jeep passed by. All of her stuff was in the Jeep so she hopped into the car and started it up. She threw it into reverse before she followed Stiles out of the parking lot.

**XXX**

She pulled up behind Stiles' Jeep, putting the Challenger in park before getting out, following the group into the house. Once they were all inside, Stiles locked every lock on the front door and looked out the small window beside it. Sophia licked her lips and then pursed them. Way to be inconspicuous Stiles. Lydia looked at Stiles and then all the locks on the door when he'd turned back around. He looked between of all of them.

"Uh… There's been a few break-ins around the neighborhood." He said and Sophia rolled her eyes. Stiles grabbed a chair and put it under the doorknob. Lydia motioned to the chair and Sophia made a motion to him that pretty much asked if he was stupid. "And a murder." Allison scratched the side of her head, Jackson sighed, and Sophia scuffed her shoe across the floor. "Yeah, it was bad." Allison motioned for them to take Lydia deeper inside.

"Lydia, follow me. I need to talk to you for a minute." Jackson said, letting the redhead follow him up to Scott's room.

"Seriously? What is going on with everyone?" She asked as she followed the boy. Stiles, Sophia, and Allison stayed by the front door. Stiles looked at them.

"At least we have our own wolf until Scott gets here." He hoped his sounded enthusiastic.

"That didn't sound sincere." Sophia said playfully. Stiles shrugged his shoulders.

"Every time you go against them they beat the crap out of you, forgive me for being worried." He said, waving his arms around. She rolled her eyes before making her way towards the kitchen.

**XXX**

It was almost dark when Derek and his pack came to the McCall house. By the time it was totally dark, they had moved closer to the house, they were standing on the sidewalk outside, just close enough they could see them with the help of the light on the house above the porch. Sophia peeked under Stiles' arm when he looked out the window.

"What are you doing?" Stiles asked Allison, drawing Sophia's attention to the girl.

"I think… I think I have to call my dad." She said, looking over at her friends.

"No but if he finds you here, you and Scott…"

"I know but what are we supposed to do? They're not here to scare us, okay? They're here to kill Lydia." Allison was about to push the button when she sighed and looked out the window.

"It'll be alright." Sophia said, looking out the window. She locked eyes with Derek and he smirked. She flashed her eyes at him before moving away. It was amazing to her that the Derek she'd met a few months ago was nothing like the one standing outside. She knew it was the Alpha power; he had always been a little cold and distant after the fire but this? Killing someone without proof of what they were, that wasn't him.

"I got an idea." Stiles said, pulling Sophia from her thoughts. Both girls turned to him. "Just shoot one of them."

"Are you serious?" She asked.

"We told Scott we could protect ourselves, so let's do it." Stiles said, pushing her a little. "Or at least give it a shot, right?"

"Okay." Allison said, looking out the window.

"Look, they don't think we're gonna fight, so if one of them gets hit, I guarantee they'll take off." Stiles explained and Sophia looked at him.

"As much as I like the theory, don't rely solely on that. We don't know what they'll do. Let's just be careful." She said to the two teens and they both nodded.

"Which one?" Allison asked, peering through the window to see where each of her possible targets was.

"Derek." Stiles said almost instantly. "Yeah, shoot him, preferably in the head." Sophia turned to him.

"Really Stiles? The Alpha? Let's not make him raging like Peter was. I've had enough of those to last me a lifetime." Sophia said to him, peeking through the window.

"If Scott was able to catch an arrow, Derek definitely can." Allison said to him.

"Me thinks she has a point." Sophia said, looking at Stiles. He rolled her eyes.

"Okay, just shoot one of the other three then."

"You mean two."

"No, I mean three." Sophia and Stiles looked out the window. Boyd and Erica were standing by Derek's sides. "Where the hell is Isaac?" He asked and Sophia pulled him away from the window slightly. Allison stood back, getting her arrow ready. Sophia closed her eyes and listened to everything around her. She could hear the heartbeats of Stiles and Allison as well as their breathing. She could hear Jackson and Lydia upstairs. She could also hear light footsteps coming up behind them. She spun quickly, eyes gold, fangs and claws out before she growled and slashed at Isaac. He took the hit to the arm before he grabbed her by the neck, throwing her into the wall. Sophia gasped when her back made a connection. He knocked Allison to the ground before doing the same to Stiles. He glanced between the two humans before making his way towards Stiles. Sophia could see that his eyes were glowing yellow and his fangs had dropped. She growled as she stood up, drawing his attention to her before he growled back. She jumped at him, knocking them both to the ground as they snapped at each other. Sophia had pinned the blonde boy down, keeping him from going after Stiles and Allison.

"Go Allison!" Sophia said around a mouth full of fangs, while avoiding Isaac's fangs. The girl knew exactly what she was talking about because a second later, she was on her feet and running up the stairs. Isaac managed to knock Sophia off of him and onto her back. Before she could get up, he set his knee down hard in the center of her chest, keeping her pinned to the ground. She snarled at him as he took her head between his hands and slammed it against the ground a few times. Her head spun as Isaac stood up, she blinked to clear her vision as he turned his attention to Stiles.

**XXX**

It had taken Sophia longer to heal than expected. Once she was able to stand without blood pouring from her head or her vision spinning, she could hear Scott coming in the back door. The boy made quick work of Isaac before Allison came down the stairs. "I've got Erica paralyzed upstairs." She said to Sophia. The older girl nodded before making her way upstairs to get the blonde. Sophia gazed down at her when she walked into the room.

"Well… if it was only this easy all the time." Erica looked up at her the best she could. Sophia reached down and grabbed her by the back of the neck before kneeling down to throw her over her shoulder in a fireman carry. She made it down the stairs, nodding to Scott. Stiles opened the door for his friends to throw Erica and Isaac outside on the grass beside their Alpha. Derek sighed before turning to look at them. Scott, Sophia, Stiles, and Allison had all made their way onto the porch, looking out at Derek and Boyd.

"I think I'm finally getting why you keep refusing me, Scott." Derek said. "You're not an omega. You're already an Alpha of your own pack." He said with a smirk. Sophia pursed her lips before looking at the young beta. Derek's smirked turned into a smile. "But you know you can't beat me."

"I can hold you off until the cops get here." Scott said and a second later, they could hear the police sirens wailing but over that, they could hear the sound of footsteps scurrying on the roof. The four of them ran out onto the sidewalk to see what it was. They weren't really surprised to see the Kanima. It turned to them and roared before it was out of sighed. Sophia leaned in closer to Stiles, the same way Allison did with Scott. They all looked to the doorway when Lydia came marching out.

"Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" She demanded.

"It's Jackson." Scott realized.


	17. Frenemy

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Derek took off after the Kanima and Sophia ran to her car, switching out her heels for a pair of black leather Steve Madden Brewzzer boots. "What are you doing?" Scott asked as Sophia shut her trunk.

"We don't like Derek, I get that but I'm not going to let him do it alone." She said, taking off in the direction of the Alpha, listening to the others call her name. She just kept running, following his scent and that included jumping over a large chain-link fence. She landed on the ground, taking in a deep breath to make sure she still had his scent before following after him. She wasn't sure how long or how far she ran before she managed to catch up with Derek. She panted, pointing at him when he turned around to her.

"What are you doing here?" He asked and he almost sounded concerned.

"Let me tell you… what… Big Bad…" She stopped to take in a couple deep breaths. "You can run…" She put her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath before she stood up and looked around.

"What are you doing here?" He asked again, grabbing her arm and turning her to him. It was nothing like every other time he touched her. It was firm but there was no pain laced in it. She looked down at his hand before looking back up at his face.

"Look, we don't trust each other, you said so yourself but I'm not letting you do this on your own." She said and Derek just watched her for a brief moment, looking into her eyes before they heard the Kanima hissing. They both turned towards it, Sophia having gotten her breath back. Both werewolves went into their beta form, growling at it. Sophia was more of the reinforcements when it came to fighting the Kanima. With his new Alpha powers, he was a little bit faster and a little bit stronger than Sophia and when fighting something like this, she wasn't afraid to admit that. The Kanima knocked Derek onto his stomach and before either often could move, Sophia was crouched down in between them, roaring at it. Derek pushes her out of the way when it advances, using a piece of steel to keep its claws from getting to him. They roared in each other's faces before he managed to knock the Kanima down and put it on the run. It runs up the underside of an overpass. Derek growled up at it before a bright light shined, the Kanima having destroyed a lightbulb, temporarily blinding Derek and allowing the Kanima to throw him aside. Before Sophia could move, there is the sound of screeching tires and guns cocking. Immediately, Sophia moves out of the firing zone as Chris Argent lets loose a whole clip into the Kanima. They all hit their mark and while Argent was busy, Derek ran over to Sophia and grabbed her hands from where she was covering her ears, the gunshots seemingly extra loud.

"Are you okay?" He whispered and she nodded softly. Looking over to where Argent was looking around for Derek.

"Are you?" She whispered back and he nodded. He put a gentle hand on her side and moves her to the opposite side of the pillar, away from Argent's eyes.

"Just stay still." He whispered, lowering his head so that his nose was brushing against her temple. Sophia tried not to shiver at the contact, instead, turning her attention back to Argent. Apparently the Kanima wasn't dead because it stood up and knocked Chris into one of the pillars, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Gerard Argent was there was well; standing toe to toe with the Kanima before Scott appeared out of seemingly nowhere and tackled the Kanima away from the older man. Derek watched for a moment before he gently pulled Sophia away from the pillar. "Let's go." He said softly, pulling her along behind him as they tried to get away from the area. Derek stopped when he thought they were far enough away.

"I'm fine." Sophia said before the Alpha could say anything. He watched her for a moment before looking around. "Thanks for that… back there." She said, pointing from the direction they'd just come. He looked at her and shook his head softly.

"You came after me, I should be thanking you." Sophia's eyebrows shot up before she pursed her lips.

"Derek Hale saying thank you? Maybe I'm not okay. Maybe I'm in this totally realistic dream and when I wake up, everything will be back to normal." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she smirks. Derek shakes his head, the corners of his mouth tilting up like he was trying to fight a smile. A moment later, Sophia's phone went off. She chuckles before pulling it from her pocket.

_From Stiles (9:53 pm)_

_The Jungle_

The text was simple, sweet, and to the point. The Kanima was in the club called the Jungle. Sophia nodded her head before looking at Derek. "Well, thanks for the fun time Big Bad but I have to go pick up Scott so we can get out of here."

"You're not going to help me look?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe tomorrow. My parents will be home any minute and would kill me if they found out I was gone." Sophia lied, hoping her heartrate would remain steady. Derek would call her out on her bullshit so when he didn't; she knew she was home free. She ran back in the direction they came from before taking an alleyway. Where the Alpha/Beta pair had ended up actually wasn't that far from the Jungle. As she came around the back, she saw Scott and Stiles going inside. "Guys!" She called to them as she ran in after them.

"Where have you been? Are you okay?" Stiles asked, looking her over. She nodded her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Derek protected me." She said and it caused both of her friends to stop and look at her like she was crazy. "We're working on our deep hate of each other to make it a minimal hate." Stiles raised an eyebrow as if he could hear the stutter of her heart. "Shut up." Stiles walked over to the backdoor, trying to open it but it was locked and it had no give.

"Alright, maybe there's, like, a window we could climb through…" Stiles said, looking around. Sophia watched as Scott walked over to the door and used his werewolf strength to completely pull the doorknob from the door. "or some kind of…" Stiles strayed off when Scott handed him the doorknob. "handle that we could rip off with supernatural strength. How did I not think of that one?" Sophia chuckled, patting him on the shoulder as she followed Scott inside. They came around the curtain into the actually club and Sophia couldn't help but bob her head; it had been so long since she had been in a club. The last time was with Danny in this exact club, she was his wingman. She smiled a little bit, it wouldn't seem like a place she would be comfortable but she loved the club atmosphere.

"Dude, everyone in here's a dude." Scott said to them and Sophia looked over at a drag queen came up to her and began playing with her hair. She smiled and pushed it all to the one side for him to play with. Sophia didn't mind this kind of atmosphere either. Remember, she's Danny wingman more times than not. Sophia looked around, just because they weren't interested in her didn't mean she couldn't window shop. "I think we're in a gay club." Sophia looked over at Stiles and laughed when she saw him surrounded by three different drag queens.

"Man, nothing gets past those keen werewolf senses, huh, Scott?" He asked with sarcasm. She saw Danny at the bar and made her way over to him.

"Hey there Hot stuff." She smiled when he looked at her. He smiled back and stood up to hug her.

"Hey cutie, what are you doing here?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"I just needed some stress relief." Danny nodded his head before looking out at the guys dancing. He apparently caught sight of someone he didn't want to see. Sophia looked out there and saw his ex-boyfriend. She laid a hand on his back. "You know you're better off without him right." She said before turning to the bartender and ordering a drink.

"Still doesn't feel good." Danny said, stirring his own. Sophia glanced around, seeing a gorgeous hunk of man standing off to the side. She waited until he looked over before pointing to Danny giving him a thumbs up and then a thumbs down, asking for his opinion. The guy looked Danny over before giving her a thumbs up. She smiled before leaning into Danny.

"So you know why you invite me to these things?" She asked, thanking the bartender for her drink and taking a sip.

"Because you are the only person I can get to come to these things…" He said, chuckling softly.

"Haha but no. I'm the best wingman… woman you'll ever have and I know no breakup feels good but honey, I know something that will feel real good." She said, waiting until Danny looked up at her. She pointed to the guy. "That guy, right there." Danny looked at the guy before looking back at her, giving her a kiss on the cheek before getting up and making his way over to him. She smiled before smiling at the bartender.

"You're a natural." He said and she shrugged playfully.

"I do what I can." He chuckled. Sophia sighed when Stiles and Scott came over to the bar.

"Two beers." Stiles said, hitting the bar top.

"IDs?" The bartender asked. They both pulled out their driver's licenses. There was no way they were getting a drink if they pulled out their real ones. The bartender smiled. He clearly saw the problem with their IDs.

"Just a coke for each of them, they're with me." She said smiling as she walked over to them. The bartender nodded before going to get their drinks. Stiles pouted at her.

"Don't give me that look, there is no way I'm letting you guys drink. Besides, you have to be 21 to get drinks, remember." She said, taking a sip of hers.

"How come you get a drink then?" Stiles said, raising an eyebrow. Sophia smirked and leaned in closer to him so he could hear her over the music.

"It's called a fake ID sweetheart." She pulled away with a smile, bobbing her head to the music. She smiled at the new bartender when he brought their drinks over.

"That one's paid for." He said, motioning to another guy at the end of the bar. He was pretty cute; he was drinking a beer, holding it up when he saw Scott looking that way. Sophia almost spit her drink out all over her boys. She managed to swallow before she began laughing behind her hand.

"Holy shit! That's the best thing I've heard all week." Scott looked at her and Stiles, smiling.

"Oh, shut up." Stiles said, grabbing his drink.

"I didn't say anything." Scott argued lightly, using his straw to play with the ice in his cup.

"Yeah, well, your face did." Stiles replied as they turned to the dancefloor. Sophia placed a kiss on his cheek before she looked out over the crowd, finding Danny almost immediately.

"Found Danny." She and Stiles said at the same time.

"I found Jackson." Scott said, looking above the dancefloor. He was right over Danny. "Get Danny." Scott said.

"What are you going to do?" Stiles asked and both Scott and Sophia let their claws out. "Works for me."

Stiles made his way onto the dancefloor to get Danny while Sophia and Scott moved through the dancefloor, keeping an eye on the Kanima. It worked until the fog machines kicked on, even with werewolf senses that blocked their view and when the fog cleared the Kanima was gone.

"Do you see it?" Scott asked, looking around.

"No, I don't." Sophia said, glancing around as well. Suddenly, people started dropping like flies, Danny included.

"Jackson!" Scott called out to him and Sophia glanced around before she had to do a double take, Derek was moving through the fog, his red eyes the only thing noticeable about him until he was almost on top of them.

"Don't!" Sophia called to the Alpha but he didn't listen, he growled and attacked, slicing the Kanima's throat before he took him out of the club. People began screaming but Sophia and Scott ran out of the club the way they came. Pretty much as soon as they were outside, they noticed a blood trail. They followed it and it led to Jackson, who was lying between two cars. He was unconscious and bloody. He looked dead before he suddenly sucked in a gasp of breath and began to cough and sputter. They pair of betas knelt down beside him while they waited for Stiles.

"What do we do with him now?" Scott asked Stiles when he came into view. Scott went to talk to Danny while Sophia sat in the car with Stiles. She was sitting in the back with Jackson, his head on her lap. Scott got back in but before they could leave, a familiar police cruiser pulled up in front of them with their lights on.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Could this get any worse?" Stiles asked the other two. Jackson groaned and Sophia's head snapped down to him. Stiles and Scott turned around quiockly. "That was rhetorical!" Stiles yelled to him.

"Get rid of him." Scott said and Stiles shrugged his shoulders.

"Get rid of him? We're at a crime scene and he's the sheriff." Scott flailed for a moment.

"Do something." Sophia leaned forward. "Channel your inner me. It'll work." She said right before Stiles flailed, got out, and walked over to his dad.

"What's… what's going on?" Jackson said as he sat up. Sophia put her hands on his shoulders to gently try and push him back down.

"Jackson, Jackson, be quiet." Scott said to the other boy. Jackson settled back down in her lap. Sophia and Scott watched on nervously. Jackson moaned again, starting to get up but Sophia pressed a hand down on his chest to keep him down. "Jackson, be quiet." The boy settled again. Stiles continued to talk to his dad, the man getting more and more upset even though Sophia couldn't hear anything they were saying.

"What's happening?" Jackson asked as he sat up again.

"Jackson, I'm sorry, but…" Scott began before he punched Jackson, causing him to fall back into Sophia's lap. She nodded her head.

"Nice." Scott shook out his hand for a moment before turning back to Stiles and his dad. They pair waved at him. Stiles continued to talk to his dad before the man's face softened, Stiles must've said something to him that he believed because a moment later, Stiles was back in the Jeep and they drove off the crime scene.

**XXX**

"What about your house?" Stiles asked Scott.

"Not with my mom there." He answered.

"Sophie?" Stiles asked and girl shook her head.

"No, my parents are home from work." She said back and Stiles sighed.

"We need to take him somewhere where we can hold him long enough to figure out what to do with him or long enough to convince him that he's dangerous." Scott said.

"I still say we just kill him." Stiles said, glancing at the others.

"We're not killing him." Scott insisted.

"I got an idea." Stiles said.

"Does it involve breaking the law?" Sophia asked from where she was sitting behind Stiles.

"By now, don't you think that's a given?" He asked back, looking at her through the rearview mirror.

"I was just trying to be optimistic." She answered.

"Don't' bother." Stiles said.

**XXX**

Quite an interesting plan Stiles had. "Stiles! McCall! Markus! I'm gonna kill you!" Sophia sighed and nodded her head as she put her hands in her jean's pockets. Stiles unlocked the door and went inside the police transportation van.

Sophia had gone home to change, thinking about going to school. She decided, though, that since her grades were still up, that she wouldn't go. Instead, she stopped by a good sandwich place in town before making her way back to where they were keeping the stolen van. Stiles was getting out the back of the van when she pulled up.

"So… how is this all working exactly?" Sophia asked him, having time to think about how stupid this plan was all the way back.

"What do you mean?" Stiles asked, getting into the passenger seat of the van while Sophia got into the driver's seat.

"Well… Jackson's parents… Jackson's friends… You know, people who would know he was missing." Sophia asked, leaning her head back against the headrest.

"I got that taken care of." Stiles said, digging around in his pocket for Jackson's phone, holding it up for her to read the text message.

"Sounds great." Sophia said, closing her eyes and relaxing into the seat. Only a moment later, did Sophia think she heard something. Sophia put her hand on Stiles, stopping him from typing on Jackson's phone. He looked at her before looking around. Allison just appeared out of nowhere, causing the pair of them to jump. Well, Sophia to jump. Stiles did a jump, flail, and scream.

"They know." She said.

"What?" Both Stiles and Sophia asked, getting out of the van to stand beside her.

"They know Jackson's missing." Allison explained in further detail.

"No, they can't. I've been texting his parents since last night. They don't have a clue." Stiles said and Sophia turned to him, taking the phone from his hands.

"Really Stiles!?" She glared at him and he shrugged.

"What?" He asked.

"My grandfather told me his parents went to the police. They know." Stiles made some kind of weird noise before looking at the phone in Sophia's hand. He opened the passenger side door and reached for the police radio. Sophia threw the phone to Allison.

"Chuck that." She stepped closer to Stiles and so did Allison.

'_All available units proceed to Beacon Hills Preserve as instructed. Proceed with caution until Sheriff Stilinski's arrival. Repeat. Proceed with caution.'_ The officer over the radio said. Sophia threw her hands in the air.

"We're done!" She said, pacing around. Allison and Stiles got into the van while Sophia ran to her car, following behind them.

**XXX**

Stiles stopped and he, Allison, and Sophia all met up with Scott. He explained to them all about the tablet. "If Jackson doesn't remember being the Kanima, he's definitely not gonna remember stealing Danny's tablet." Scott said, running his fingers through his hair.

"Why would he steal the thing if he doesn't even know what's on it?" Stiles asked.

"What if someone else took it?" Allison supplied.

"Then someone else knows what he is." Sophia said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Which could mean someone's protecting him." Scott said thoughtfully.

"Like the bestiary says, 'the Kanima seeks a friend,' right?" Allison said, reminding Sophia that she had gotten a few lines of the Kanima portion of the bestiary translated.

"Okay, hold on." Stiles says. "So somebody watches Jackson make a video of himself turning into the Kanima and then just erases part of it so he wouldn't know? I mean, who would do that?"

"Somebody who wanted to protect him?" Allison asked, unsure.

"There's something else." Scott said. "You said the only thing you found online about the Kanima is that it goes after murders." The boy turned to Stiles. "What if that's actually true?"

"Well, no, it can't be." Sophia said, motioning to the three of them. "It tried to kill us, remember? Which, I mean, I know I haven't murdered anybody as of late."

"But I don't think it was actually trying to kill us." Scott said again and Sophia pursed her lips. "Remember we were at Isaac's the first time, it just went right by us, didn't it?" Scott asked Allison.

"You're right, it just ran off." She said with a small nod of her head.

"And it didn't kill you at the mechanic's garage." Scott said turning to Stiles. He nodded softly.

"It didn't kill you while you were fighting it with Derek." Scott looked at Sophia. She tilted her head to the side.

"Yeah but it tried to kill me and Derek in the pool. Remember? Holding up that lug for two hours." She said.

"Did it?" He asked.

"It would've." She said, putting her right hand on her hip and shifting her weight. "It was just waiting for us to come out." There was a moment of silence.

"What if it was trying to keep you in?" He asked and Sophia was about to open her mouth to argue when she realized how much sense it made.

"Okay…" She mumbled.

"Do you feel violated all of the sudden?" Stiles asked and Sophia nodded softly.

"There's something else going on. We don't know what it is. We don't know anything about what's going on with Jackson or why someone's protecting him." Scott explained.

"Know thy enemy." Allison said. They all turned to her. "Just something my grandfather said."

"Alright, I got it. Kill Jackson. Problem solved." Stiles said once again. They all looked at him and he threw his arms out in the universal 'what' pose.

"He risked his life for us. Against Peter, remember that?" Scott asked the other boy.

"Yes but what did we just find out? He got the bite from Derek. It's funny how he just got exactly what he wanted by supposedly risking his life for us, it's funny." Stiles explained and Sophia and Allison watched on in silence.

"Yeah, that doesn't mean he's not still worth saving."

"It's always something with him, though."

"He doesn't know what he's doing."

"So what?"

"So, I didn't either. You remember when I almost killed you and Jackson?" Scott asked Allison. "I had someone to stop me. He has nobody."

"That's his own fault." Stiles said and Sophia hit him in the arm.

"No it's not and it doesn't matter. I agree with Scott, if we can save him, we should try." The redhead said, looking at their group.

**XXX**

That night, Stiles went to Lydia's to try and explain himself the night Sophia and Derek got trapped in the pool while Scott and Allison ended up in her car. Sophia had gotten into her own car and climbed into the backseat, stretching out. She made sure she was a little aways from Scott and Allison. She sighed as she cradled her head with her arms. Things were all over crazy now-a-days and a part of Sophia just wanted everything to go back to normal. With another heaving sigh, she closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep. She wasn't sure how long she slept before something was banging on her window. She tried to jump up, smacking her forehead against something. "What the hell…?" Sophia muttered before she looked up and saw Stiles standing there.

"You might wanna see this." He said as he walked towards the van. She climbed back into the front seat before getting out of the car and following him. The back of the van was open and Jackson was gone. He'd easily broken out of the cuffs. The four teens stood there for a moment before Allison said something that no one wanted to hear, that she was going to have to tell her dad. Stiles said he had to tell his too.

"It's all my fault." Scott said and Allison shook her head.

"It's not but we have to tell them. We're just a bunch of teenagers, we can't handle this." She said, motioning towards the van.

"You're right." Scott said.

"How are you going to make your dad believe all this?" Sophia asked, turning to Stiles.

"I don't know." Stiles said and Scott looked at Sophia, both of their eyes turning gold.

"He'll believe us." The boy said and Sophia sighed, nodding her head.

**XXX**

Sophia stood with Scott and Stiles in the Sheriff's Department. This was insane. Stiles turned to the officer behind the desk. "Could you buzz us in, I need to see my dad." Stiles said. The officer hit the buzzer, opening the door. "Thanks." Stiles said before opening the door. Stiles opens the door before standing in the doorway for a moment. Sophia reaches for Stiles' hand, lacing their fingers together as she nods. Scott nods as well, motioning for Stiles to walk in. They walk in and stop in shock, Jackson is sitting on the couch with Jackson' dad leaning against the desk. Jackson looks at them and smirks.

"Scott, Stiles, Sophia." Stiles' dad said as he walked over to them. "Perfect timing." He said. "Have you met Jackson's father, Mr. David Whittemore? Esquire."

"That means lawyer." Jackson said, leaning forward. Sophia looked at him with a raised eyebrow, pointing to him. She gripped tighter to Stiles' hand before leaning into him. They were royally screwed.


	18. Restraint

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long! Things have been a little crazy here! I'm going to try and write more! Please don't forget to review, fave, and follow! And I have a tumblr for all my stories!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia sat beside Scott and Stiles… a fucking restraining order. She tries to save the town and she gets a restraining order put against her. Stiles made up some bad analogies which caused Sophia to put a hand over his mouth. "For once Stiles, please just turn on your filter or don't speak at all." The she-wolf said in a soft voice. Her parents were in the room right next to Melissa. He nodded his head softly before she removed her hand. While Stiles had a conversation with his dad, Scott and Sophia were being ushered out by their parents.

"I cannot believe you young lady." Her father said when they were all in the car. She pursed her lips and looked around, anywhere but the disappointment in her parent's eyes.

"I can't believe you have a restraining order against you." Her mother said, looking back at her.

"I knew you shouldn't have been friends with Scott or Stiles." Her father said, stopping at a red light. Scott and Stiles were never really trouble makers but when they became her best friends rather than her going out and finding some girlfriends, her dad wasn't all that pleased. Her mother had never had a problem with it until today.

"There is nothing wrong with Scott or Stiles. This was just a huge misunderstanding." Sophia said, finally turning to look at her parents.

"Really? Tell us what this is really about then, hmm?" Her mother said, turning around in her seat again. "What could possibly be making you act this way. We know you have straight A's but you're missing more days than normal." The car started moving again.

"I still get my tests and quizzes done and I still turn in my homework on time." Sophia said, hoping that counted for something.

"Yes, but all of this other strange behavior doesn't make sense. A stolen police transport van?" Her father asked, looking in the rearview mirror at her, and she tilted her head.

"That was Stiles' idea." She mumbled.

"And you didn't think to tell him it was a bad idea?" Her mother asked. Sophia glanced up at them before looking back down. They stopped at another stoplight. It seemed the universe was against her now, making this the longest trip in history.

"Is this about that Hale boy?" Sophia's head popped up.

"What?" She asked.

"That Hale boy you used to play with as a kid before the fire? He's back now isn't he? Accused of murder… Is he what this is all about?" Her mother asked, looking at her with sympathy. Sophia's mouth opened and closed a few times, she was sure she looked like a fish out of water.

"No." Sophia said weakly, shaking her head. She cleared her throat. "No, this has nothing to do with Derek. I haven't seen him since the first day he got back." She spoke with more conviction and her parents watched her.

"Sophia, you don't have to lie to us." Her father said, pulling into the driveway beside her Challenger. "We've noticed the change in your behavior about the same time Derek came back to town."

"I'm not lying. I haven't seen Derek nor do I want to. Can we please just go inside so I can get on with my life or what little of it is left?" Sophia said, getting out of the backseat and walking into the house. Her parents followed after her.

"You do know we have to punish you right?" Her mother asked and Sophia sighed, nodding her head. She pulled out her car keys and phone out of her pocket and set them on the counter.

"No phone, no car, no TV, no computer except for school, no going out and hanging with friends. Only books, homework, and studying. You'll give me rides to and from school. You'll talk to the principle to make sure I'm in every class. Oh, and you probably don't want me hanging out with Stiles or Scott right?" Sophia finished listing off every punishment she could think of and her parents just watched her in surprise before nodding their heads.

"That's right." Her father said and she nodded her head. "I'm sorry sweetie."

"Fine. Whatever." She said, walking up the stairs to her room. She didn't even bother turning on the light as she laid on her bed, clothes and all. She sighed; she needed some way to be able to communicate with everyone. Too much was going on for her to be out of the loop. Maybe she could talk one of Derek's pack into getting her a disposable cell phone. At least for Scott, Stiles, and Derek… as much as she didn't want to, she needed the Alpha involved as much as they could now.

**XXX**

Sophia got up the next morning and changed into a pair of white skinny jeans with a red, off-the-shoulder shirt, her black leather jacket, and knee high leather boots. She left her hair down, curling it into waves slightly before she made her way down the stairs. She had about fifteen minutes to get to school. "You look nice." Her mother said and she gave her a small smile before walked out the door, her father right behind her.

"Don't you want any breakfast?" He asked. Sophia was waiting on the passenger side of his Lexus, looking longingly at her Challenger now sitting in the open garage beside her mom's Nissan.

"I don't have time. I got fifteen minutes to get to school." She said, turning to her father and waiting patiently for him to open the car door. He finally came over, opening the driver's side hitting the unlock button on the inside of the door. Sophia opened the door, putting her bag in the floorboard of the passenger seat before getting inside and closing the door. The drive to school was awkward and quiet.

"What time should me or your mom pick you up?" Her father asked.

"Around 3. I don't have lacrosse practice." She said, getting out and grabbing her bag before putting it over her shoulder.

"Alright. I'm sorry." Her dad said as she got out of the car. She didn't answer him as she walked into the school, her heels clicking on the concrete. This was going to be a rough day.

**XXX**

Sophia walked down the halls, sidestepping occationally to avoid bumping into someone when an arm wrapped around her shoulders. "Where's thing one and two?" Isaac asked and she sighed.

"Yeah, we got into some deep shit. Can't really see them right now." She said, shrugging his arm off of her shoulder.

"Awe, that's sad. But you can still see me." He said with a smirk and she stopped and turned to him, a smirk on her lips.

"You're right." His smirk faded slightly.

"What?" He asked a little unsure and she offered him a smile.

"I need you to do me like a huge, huge favor." She said, gently laying her hand on Isaac's chest to push him into an empty class room. His tough exterior crumpled a bit.

"What's that?" He asked and Sophia stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her body flush to his. He almost fell over before he managed to catch himself and Sophia gave him a sweet smile.

"While I'm in trouble, I can't have my cell phone. I could really use for someone to get me a disposable cell with Big Bad Derek's number in it." She said and that tough exterior was back.

"And why would I do that?" He asked and she leaned in closer, her lips brushing against his ear.

"I may know who the Kanima is but I'll only tell Derek and I am on such strict grounds, I can't get to him. So… maybe you can help me." She said, gently running a claw down his neck. He swallowed hard.

"I don't think I should…" She pressed a finger to his lips, retracting her claw.

"Shh, don't think." Sophia said, threading her fingers through the curls in his hair and pulling him down for a kiss. The taller beta moaned slightly in her mouth before pressing his hands to her lower back. She pulled away, brushing her thumb across his bottom lip. "Can you do that for me? Please…" She said; flutter her eyes and letting her lips brush against his.

"Yeah… yeah I can." She smiled, pressing another kiss to his lips.

"Thank you Isaac." She said, before backing up and stepping back into the hall. She wiped her lips with her finger tips before smirking. Man, who knew Sophia could be that manipulative. She kind of liked it.

**XXX**

Sophia went home right after school and began working on her homework. She had nothing else to do anyway. Isaac had caught her after school just before she went outside and she told him that he couldn't come to her place and that she could get the phone during school tomorrow.

After finishing all of her homework in an hour in a half, Isaac came through her window, landing lightly on the ground. She jumped and looked at him before getting up quickly and quietly to close her door.

"I told you, I would get the phone tomorrow." She said softly, making sure the door was closed tight.

"It's not about that… well, it is but the Kanima attacked. We need you." He said seriously and Sophia licked her lips before biting on the bottom one.

"Go to the door and tell my parents that you need me because one of our friends is in the hospital. Then they should let me have my car. Where exactly am I going?" She said as she grabbed her jacket off the bed.

"The substation." He said and she nodded. He nodded back before handing her the phone. He quickly jumped out the window again. Sophia closed it before listening closely; she could hear the doorbell ringing. She heard her mother answer before she heard Isaac's story about how Erica is in the hospital. It was a good story because her mother knew about the blonde's epilepsy.

"Sophia!" Her mother called her down. When Sophia reached the bottom step, her mother was pressing the keys into her hand. "Your friend Erica is in the hospital."

"What?" Sophia played ignorant.

"Yes, you can have the car and your phone to go see her." Her mother said, handing her the phone as well. Sophia took them and nodded, trying to look frantic.

"Let's go." Isaac said from the door. Sophia nodded and looked at her mom.

"Thank you." She said before running outside, both of them getting into the Challenger, slowly backing it out of the garage before peeling out down the main street.

"You should be an actress." He said, setting his feet on the dash.

"Take your feet off my dash or so help me I'll kill you." She said and he grunted.

"Snippy." He said, settling back in his seat and taking his feet off the dash. She growled slightly as she pressed the gas pedal down even harder.

**XXX**

Sophia ran down the stairs and jumped into the train, following Erica's screams. Derek was holding her arm, he'd broken it. "You broke her arm!" Stiles yelled at him.

"It'll trigger the healing process." Derek answered. "I still need to get the venom out."

"How are you going to do that?" Sophia asked, everyone noticing her for the first time. Derek looked at her before looking back down at the blonde.

"It's really gonna hurt." He said, digging his claws into her arm, blood began pouring out of her arm before her screams died down to panting breaths. She leaned against Stiles, looking up at him.

"Stiles… you make a good Batman." She said a little breathless as she lay in Stiles' arms. Derek looked down at his Beta before looking over at Sophia. She looked back at him before shifting her gaze down.

**XXX**

Sophia, Derek, and Scott walked out of the abandoned train while Stiles stay with Erica. "You know who it is." Scott said as the two teenagers followed behind him. Derek stopped and turned to them, looking back into the train before sighing and sitting down.

"Jackson." He said, turning back to the teens.

"You just wanted Erica to confirm it, didn't you?" Scott asked him. Derek nodded his head softly, looking around the room.

"We're going to help you stop him." Sophia said, stepping forward into Derek's line of sight. "As a part of your pack." Derek turned his attention to the redhead, looking into her eyes. No upticks, no skips. She was being honest. Even if Scott didn't like it, they needed each other right now. "If you want us in then fine. But we're doing this with one condition." She said, holding up her index finger on her right hand. Derek nodded softly. "We're going to catch him, not kill him." Derek sighed.

"And?" He asked, looking between the two younger wolves, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And we do it our way." Sophia said, leaning down slightly and pointing to herself and Scott.

**XXX**

Scott went back into the train car to talk to Stiles. Sophia watched him go before she turned to Derek. "What's wrong with you?" He asked and she looked over at him.

"I…I was grounded because of Jackson and now he has a fucking restraining order against the three of us and so I'm grounded from like… everything and I don't know for how long. I can't even get out of the house without my parents knowing. I have no car, no phone, no nothing. I'm lucky I'm even here to talk to you about this." Sophia said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How did you get here?" He asked, standing up, towering over her by a few inches.

"Isaac came to bring me the disposable phone I asked him for. Erica just happened to be going through her seizures when it all happened. My excuse was that I'm at the hospital." She said, rubbing her arms.

"We'll fix this. I promise." Derek said, stepping closer to Sophia, his nose brushing against the top of her head as he breathed in her scent. Her tense muscles relaxed under the administrations of the Alpha and she couldn't stop herself from leaning into his slightly. Her arms uncurled until her hands were hovering over Derek's sides, her fingertips just brushing against his shirt. This was not supposed to happen.


	19. Raving

**A/N: I hope you guys like this one! This was one of my favorites! Please fave, follow, and review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Being grounded sucked! Sophia couldn't do anything. She had to go help Scott; she'd gotten a text on her disposable cell. They were going to Deaton's clinic, him, Isaac, and Derek. She got dressed in a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a gray tank top, a pair of black combat boots, and her leather jacket before she checked to make sure her parents were settled for the night. When she was sure they were, she went back into her room and closed the door quietly before opening the window and jumping down to the ground. She glanced around to make sure no one saw her before she began running to the clinic. As she got there, Isaac and Derek were just being let in by Scott.

"Could have come sooner." Isaac said as she walked in.

"Oh give me a break Lahey, I'm grounded tighter than Fort Knox. I have to leave when my parents are settled for the night. They don't come back out of their room after that." She said, nodding to Scott as he held the door open for her.

"You know that sounds like a personal problem to me." Isaac said, looking up at the woman with a smirk. She growled at him.

"Derek really doesn't care at this point." The Alpha said, raising his hands to keep the two betas separated. "Now, where's the vet? Is he going to help us or not?"

"That depends. Your friend, Jackson. Are we planning to kill him or save him?" Deaton asked from where he was leaning in the doorway.

"Save him." Scott said at the same time Derek said "kill him." Scott turned to him, glaring. "Save him." Derek sighed softly before turning to look back at Deaton. "Save him." Scott said once more. Deaton looked them over and nodded, taking them back to the exam room. He set jars down on the table and Isaac reached for them before Derek grabbed his wrist.

"Watch what you touch." He said.

"So, what are you? Some kind of witch?" Isaac asked, looking up at Deaton from where he was leaning on the table.

"No, I'm a veterinarian." He said seriously and Sophia stifled a laugh. "Unfortunately, I don't see anything here that's going to be an effective defense against paralytic toxin." Deaton said, looking at Derek.

"We're open to suggestions." The Alpha said.

"What about an effective offense?" Isaac asked.

"We already tried." Derek answered his beta. "I nearly took its head off and Argent emptied an entire clip into it. The thing just gets back up."

"Has it shown any weaknesses?" Deaton asked.

"Well… one." Sophia said, drawing everyone's attention. She looked at Derek. "It can't swim."

"Does that go for Jackson as well?" Deaton asked Sophia.

"No." Scott answered. "He's captain of the swim team."

"Essentially, you're trying to catch two people." Deaton turned around, opening and closing a drawer before turning back around. "A puppet and a puppeteer." Deaton held up a strange coin for them all to see before he laid it down on the table. "One killed the husband but the other hand to take care of the wife. Do you know why?" They all sat in silence.

"I don't think Jackson could do it." Scott said. "His mother died pregnant, too, and she was maybe murdered. I think he couldn't let the same thing happen to someone else."

"How do you know it's not part of the rules?" Isaac asked. "The Kanima kills murderers. If Jackson kills the wife, then the baby dies, too."

"Does that mean your father was a murderer?" Scott asked Isaac.

"Wouldn't surprise me if he was." The other beta said.

"Hold on. The book says they're bonded, right?" Deaton asked. Derek nodded. "What if the fear of water isn't coming from Jackson but from the person controlling him? What if something that affects the Kanima also affects its master?" Deaton pulled one of the jars out of the little box and opened it, spreading it around the coin on the table. Sophia could smell it as soon as he opened the jar, Mountain Ash.

"Meaning what?" Isaac asked.

"Mean we can catch them." Scott answered. Deaton smiled slightly. "Both of them."

**XXX**

Sophia watched as both of her parents were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. They'd been like that all morning. They were off their game since they'd grounded Sophia but they refused to un-ground her. "You know, I have a friend that goes right by here to school and I can't miss another morning practice. The championship is right around the corner." She said, hoping this plan would work. Her mother stopped.

"Would you actually be going to school?" Sophia wanted to roll her eyes but she didn't.

"Yes, he has morning practice too." She said and her parents talked about it in hushed voices and Sophia tried not to listen in.

"Fine. But we'll be picking you up." She saluted them.

"Right." She grabbed her phone from the counter, sending the text message to Derek, before setting it back down on the counter. They didn't want her taking her phone to school with her. A few minutes later, the Camaro pulled up. She walked down the porch stairs before walking down the walkway and getting in.

"How did you manage this one?" Derek asked, looking at her through his sunglasses.

"They were running late so I used some of that good girl logic." She said with an innocent smile and Derek scoffed.

"Am I taking you home?" He asked and Sophia scoffed.

"No, they're picking me up. Hopefully they'll realize how stupid this is and give me all of my stuff back." She said as they pulled up to the school. "Alright, see you later Big Bad." She opened the door and was out before he could reply. She began walking towards the locker room when she realized that, nine times out of ten, she was calling Derek Big Bad, like a subconscious pet name. He had never corrected her either. Maybe he likes it. She shrugged her bag higher onto her shoulder before she continued walking.

**XXX**

"Can anybody tell me where the hell Jackson is and why he missed morning practice?" Finstock asked as he came out of office, letting the door hit loudly against the wall. Everyone grew silent.

"I thought I told you to keep an eye on him?" Stiles said to Scott. The other boy got ready to answer him when Coach yelled.

"Stilinski! Jackson?"

"Sorry Coach, I haven't seen him since the last time I saw him." The boy answered.

"Oh and when was that?" Finstock asked.

"Last time I saw him was definitely the time I saw him last." He answered again and Sophia looked at him from her place next to Danny.

"Danny, tell Jackson no missing practice this close to the championships, okay?" Finstock leaned down to Danny.

"Sure, Coach." He answered.

"That goes for all of you." Finstock said as he walked back into his office and closing the door.

"Sorry, but I only got two for myself." Danny said to Scott and Stiles. Sophia's brow furrowed.

"What are you guys talking about?" She asked and all three boys turned to her.

"The secret rave. Remember? I was telling you about it before." Danny said and she nodded.

"Oh yeah, I remember." She said and Stiles began talking.

"Do you even have a date, man?" He asked.

"I'm working on it." Danny said back.

"Okay, okay. Hear me out." Stiles began and Sophia rubbed her eyes. "You give us the tickets and you devote your life to abstinence…" Isaac grabbed them both, distracting them from Danny. She smiled as he made a quick getaway.

"How do you two losers even survive?" Derek's beta asked.

"What are we supposed to do? No one's even selling." Scott said and what they didn't know was that in Sophia's book bag, there were three tickets for them. She had managed to get them… well… She had convinced Derek to get them for her since she couldn't use a computer or go anywhere. She was a little surprised when she came home from school earlier that week and they were sitting on her bed. Sometimes Sophia thinks that really deep down, really deep, Derek's truly not trying to be the bad guy. Sophia watched as one guy handed another a ticket to the rave. Isaac patted Stiles chest.

"Wait here, boys." They watched Isaac walk towards them and she knew what he was going to do.

"Isaac, you don't need to…" Before Sophia could finish that sentence he pretty much beat the crap out of them. He came back over with the tickets in his hand, waving them around. Sophia raised an eyebrow. "I tried to tell you Lahey, you didn't need to do that." He looked at her and smirked.

"Oh, I know. These are for me. You losers have to get your own." The boys looked shocked and offended. Isaac winked at Sophia before pushing between the boys and going to his locker.

"How are we going to get tickets!?" Stiles asked Scott. Sophia reached into her bag and pulled out the tickets, holding them up in front of them. They looked at them for a moment before each boy grabbed a ticket.

"How did you…?!" Scott asked, looking at their friend. She smiled. "I thought you were still grounded."

"I am. I had a certain Alpha get me those. I mean, with those looks, might as well put 'em to use." Sophia said with a shrug and Stiles hugged her.

"And that is why you are my favorite." Sophia chuckled and hugged him back.

**XXX**

Sophia quickly got ready for the rave. She had been filled in on the plan by Stiles and Scott on her (still disposable) cell. Her parents still didn't want to give her any leeway but Sophia needed to be there for her boys. Sophia put on a black and red corset top, tight black skinny jeans, her black knee high boots, and her leather jacket. She kept her hair down and her make up light. She sighed as she looked in the mirror. She was sneaking out… to go to a party… That is the oldest cliché in the teenage handbook. She nodded softly to herself before making her way quietly down the stairs, grabbing her real cellphone before out the front door. She closed it quietly behind her and locked it. She had kept her window cracked so that she could get in that way. She walked for maybe two blocks before she found the Jeep sitting there. She got inside, climbing over Scott to get into the back. She sighed again once she was settled.

"You okay?" Stiles said, looking back at her as he started the Jeep. She looked at him and nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, I know this is for the greater good and all but it just feels… wrong." She said, rubbing the sleeve of her jacket.

**XXX**

The ride to the rave was silent. The three of them got out and went to the back of the Jeep, opening it up. "You okay?" Scott asked as Stiles reached in and pulled the bag out of the back.

"Yeah, why?" Stiles asked, looking between his best friends.

"You just didn't say anything the whole way here." Scott said, shrugging his shoulders and Sophia nodded.

"No, I'm fine. Let's grab the other bag." Stiles said in the most unconvincing voice.

"We can't. Remember, Deaton said you have to do it alone." Scott said.

"Okay, this plan is really starting to suck." Stiles said to them before sighing.

"Not here. Not now." Scott said as he ran to the entrance.

"What? Scott! What am I supposed to… Plan officially sucks." Stiles yelled to Scott before turning to Sophia. She shrugged her shoulders, watching him go. "Go ahead. Go." Stiles said, waving her off.

"You sure?" She asked and he nodded. She put a hand on the back of his neck, giving it a firm squeeze before making her way inside.

**XXX**

So this was not only Sophia's first rave, but she also snuck out of the house to be there. Pretty intense feeling. She jumped when someone grabbed her arm and began pulling her through the crowd. She struggled for a moment until she saw it was Scott. She then fell into step with him until they got to a corner where there weren't a lot of people. "The Argents are coming."

"What?" She asked.

"The Argents are coming. They know its Jackson and they are coming here. Allison told them. I already found Isaac. You, him, and Erica are going to go through with the plan." He said, handing her the drug.

"Are you sure?" She asked, taking the drug from him and flipping it over in her hands to look at it.

"I'm sure. I need to make sure that Argent doesn't completely ruin the plan." He said, nodding to Isaac when he came over. "You have to do it intravenously, which means in the vein. You find him; pull back on this plunger right here. In the neck is probably going to be the easiest. So you find the vein, jam it in there, pull back on the trigger." Scott explained to the two of them. "Be careful." He said, brushing some of Sophia's hair out of her face. She nodded. Scott gave another nod to Isaac before he disappeared into the crowd. Sophia looked at the needle before putting it in the inner pocket of her jacket.

"Looks like you're with me tonight Lahey." She said, looking over the crowd. Isaac chuckled and stepped slightly closer to her.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." He whispered by her ear and she glanced back at him. He had known that she used the kiss to get the cellphone and now, they were always in each other's space. Yeah, Isaac was good looking but he was just not her type since the transformation. Not that Derek was her type or anything.

**XXX**

"Found him." Erica said as she, Sophia, and Isaac began making their way to the crowd towards him. Plan A was now in effect. Sophia and Erica danced in the middle of Jackson and Isaac. Sophia's front against Isaac's and Erica's against Jackson's. Sophia reached into her jacket and pulled out the needle. She tipped her head back onto Erica's shoulder when Isaac began to playfully bit at her neck. She slipped the needle into his hand as she lifted her head. Her green eyes looked into his blues before he pressed a hard kiss to her lips. She broke away, reaching back to run her fingers through Jackson's hair when his nose brushed over her cheek. This was insane. Right before Isaac could get the needle into his neck, he and Erica got Jackson's claws to the side.

"She belongs to me." He said in a monstrous voice before they fell. He walked away and Sophia slipped out from between them and grabbed the needle. She ran up behind Jackson, finding the vein almost immediately with her gold eyes before putting the needle in it. Luckily, Isaac was still able to move and was able to grab Jackson before he hit the ground.

"Let's go." Sophia said as she led the way through the crowd as Isaac pulled Jackson with him.

**XXX**

They had managed to get Jackson into a small room. It was quiet until the door opened and all three wolves were on the offensive. "No, no, no! It's me, it's just me. Don't freak." Stiles said as he came in. "Is he okay?"

"Well, let's find out." Isaac said as he walked over to Jackson, who was sitting in a chair. Isaac let his claws out and got ready to slash Jackson when he grabbed Isaac's wrist with enough force to cause the boy to fall to one knee. Jackson let him go and he came back over to the three of them. They all backed up against the farthest wall.

"Okay, no one does anything like that again, okay?" Stiles said. Erica and Sophia nodded their heads.

"I thought the ketamine was supposed to put him out." Isaac said as he was cupping his hurt wrist.

"Yeah, well, apparently this is all we're going to get." Stiles said, motioning his hand towards Jackson. "So let's just hope that whoever's controlling him just decided to show up tonight." Jackson opened his eyes and Sophia tilted her head. That's a no go for her.

"I'm here." Jackson said in a monstrous voice, the same one she had heard earlier. Stiles and Isaac now had their attention on the boy in the chair. "I'm right here with you." Stiles carefully stepped forward before kneeling own in front of Jackson.

"Jackson, is that you?" He asked in a soft voice.

"Us." Jackson said in that same voice. "We're all here." Stiles looked back at the werewolves.

"Are you the one killing people?" Stiles asked again.

"We are the ones killing murderers." Jackson said.

"So all the people you've killed so far…"

"Deserved it."

"See, we got a little rule book that says you only go after murderers."

"Anything can break if enough pressure is applied."

"Alright, so the people you're killing are all murderers then?"

"All. Each. Every one."

"Well, who did they murder?"

"Me."

"Wait, what? What do you mean?"

"They murdered me." Stiles looked back at the werewolves and noticed Isaac and Erica moving closer to the door.

"Stiles." Sophia said, reaching for him. He turned back to Jackson and saw his eyes were reptilian. He was beginning to change.

"They murdered me." Jackson repeated again.

**XXX**

Jackson was half way transformed now and Sophia had finally pulled Stiles away so that he was standing with the rest of them. "Okay, alright. More ketamine. The man needs ketamine. Come on." Stiles said. Sophia pulled the little vial out of her jacket.

"We don't have any more." She said, holding it up to show Stiles.

"You used the whole bottle?" He asked her, taking it from her. She shrugged her shoulders and held her hands up in a surrendering motion. Erica tapped Stiles on the back until she had his attention. He turned back to her and then back to Jackson. He stood up before snarling at them.

"Okay, out, everybody out." Stiles said as they all ran out and barricaded the door. "Find something we can move in front of the door." Stiles said and a moment later, Jackson was breaking out of the wall. The four of them looked on in shock.

"I don't think we need something for the door now." Sophia said, watching the Kanima disappear.

**XXX**

Stiles managed to get out first before Isaac, Erica, and Sophia followed him. As soon as they stepped out, Sophia could smell the Mountain Ash circle Stiles had put around the building. Isaac kneeled down to looked at it before looking up at Erica and Sophia; they knew they couldn't cross it. Sophia looked around when she heard Scott's howl. She turned to Derek as he ran through the now open circle. She followed the Alpha, knowing he would lead her to Scott.

They came into the room and were immediately overpowered by the smell of wolfsbane. Sophia held her breath before she ran into the room, immediately finding Scott and running over to him. She had knelt down by his side when she heard Derek grunt. When she turned around, she saw Allison's mom with a knife. She'd stabbed Derek in the back. Sophia went back to checking Scott over before Derek rolled beside her, when they looked up, she was gone. Derek crawled over to Scott, rolling him over, checking him quickly before dragging him out of the room. Sophia was right behind him.

**XXX**

Luckily, Sophia had driven with Stiles and Scott so when Derek through her the keys to the Camaro, she didn't have to worry about her own car. She got into the driver's seat, Scott in the back and Derek in the passenger seat and drove to Deaton's. When they got there, Derek took Scott inside, calling for Deaton as he laid him on the exam table. Sophia got out of the car and slowly walked inside, feeling the effects of the wolfsbane.

Deaton stabilized Scott before checking both Derek and Sophia before turning his attention back to Scott. Sophia watched silently as Deaton worked. She was standing beside the table, her eyes half-lidded and her body swaying slightly. "Come here." Derek said softly, drawing Sophia's attention and holding his hand out to her. She glanced at it before looking up at his face. She lifted her hand and put it in his before letting the Alpha gently pull her closer to him. He kept pulling her until she sat down in his lap. Immediately, she felt the grounding affect the Alpha had. She was an omega, a wolf without a pack and being this close to an Alpha was calming her fragile nerves and causing all of the tension to drain from her body.

She shifted sideway, throwing her legs over the right armrest. Derek's arms enclosed her body, pulling her tightly against him; his arms were taking her weight so that when she leaned back, she wouldn't have the left armrest digging into her back. She closed her eyes before laying her head on his chest, right over his heart. She took in a deep breath, taking in his scent, before lifting her head and nuzzling up under his chin for a moment before resting her head again. Her right hand laid limp on her stomach while her left one came up to grip the fabric of Derek's Henley tightly. Derek held her closer (if that was possible); even while using his right hand to hold a piece of gauze to his left forarm. Sophia could hear him take a deep breath before he leaned down and nuzzled into Sophia's neck, taking in her peppermint-like scent. Deaton patted Scott on the head, causing the beta to open his eyes and look at him before going back to sleep. As the vet turned to leave, Derek lifted his head.

"Thank you." He said softly, looking at the two betas in the room. He sighed before lowering his head again, letting it rest in the crook of Sophia's neck and held the she-wolf tighter. He felt the grip on his Henley increase before her other arm wound around him to rest over the Triskelion tattoo. Yeah, the pair had their differences, they didn't agree with one another all the time…

But there were some feelings there… there always had been, even when they were younger. Even so, with neither one of them wanting to admit it, it was nice to take comfort in someone or something so familiar to you that it seemed nothing else could hurt you in that moment.


	20. Party Guessed

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up! Things have been crazy but I should be back to posted regularly, hopefully! Thank you guys for the support! Let me know what you think! Please review, fave, and follow!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

"I'm saying we need a new plan, because next time, one of us is gonna get too hurt to heal." Derek said as he, Sophia, and Scott walked into a subway car. Since they'd staying for most of the night at Deaton's to be monitored, Sophia had come to terms with some of her feelings towards Derek and it seemed that the Alpha had too… in his own way. It wasn't like they were both just going to come out and say it, Sophia was still only seventeen and Derek had his own demons to deal with.

"I get it." Scott said. "We can't save Jackson." Derek sat down.

"We can't seem to kill him either." The Alpha muttered. "I've seen a lot of things, Scott. I've never seen anything like this. Every new moon's just gonna make him stronger."

"Then how do we stop him?" Sophia asked as she sat across from Derek. He shrugged his shoulder and shook his head softly.

"I don't know." He said, looking between Sophia and Scott. "I don't even know if we can."

"Yeah, maybe we should just let the Argents handle it." Scott said and Sophia nodded in agreement.

"I'm the one who turned him. It's my fault." Derek said and Sophia reached over and grabbed one of his hands.

"Yeah, but you didn't turn him into this. This happened because of something in his past, right?" Sophia said, lowering her head to try and get Derek to look at her since he dropped his head to look down at the ground.

"That's a legend in a book. It's not that simple." Derek said, lifting his head to look up at the redhead.

"What do you mean?" Sophia asked.

"What are you not telling us?" Scott asked right after her.

"Why do you think I'm always keeping something from you?" Derek asked Scott.

"Because you are always keeping something from me… from us." Scott said, motioning to himself and Sophia.

"Well, maybe I do it to protect the two of you." Derek answered.

"Doesn't being part of your pack mean no more secrets?" Scott asked, unsure.

"Go home, you two. Sleep. Heal." Derek said, not looking up at either beta. "Make sure your friends are safe. 'Cause a full moon's coming. And with the way things are going, I've got a feeling it's gonna be a rough one." Scott made his way out of the train. Sophia took in a deep breath before standing, dropping Derek's hand from hers.

"I've been ungrounded. They never found out about the rave so I have my phone and keys back. If you need me during the full moon, let me know and I'll come and help with the others." She said, looking down the Alpha. He looked at her and Sophia saw something unreadable in his eyes before he nodded his head.

"Thank you." He said softly. She offered him a small smile before she made her way out of the train. Scott was waiting for her as she came out. She gave him a small nod as they made their way up the stairs.

**XXX**

Sophia was pretty happy for Spring Break when it rolled around. She didn't want to have to deal with school while trying to help everyone get ready for the full moon. Scott was okay, he was figuring out control pretty easily. It was Erica, Isaac, and Boyd that she was worried about. She walked down the stairs that morning in a pair of semi-tight blue jeans and a dark green long sleeve shirt. Right now she was bare foot as she came down the stairs, seeing her parents eating breakfast. Her mother looked up, surprised to see the girl up and moving before 10 a.m.

"Hey, what are you doing up?" Her mother asked.

"I have to go work on a project with Scott and Stiles. It's a pretty long and tedious process so we figured we would just hang out all day." She said, smiling to her parents. After everything she'd been through and for "following" the rules of her grounding, they were slightly more inclined to believe what she said. Good thing too, at the moment, she wanted to stay as far away from the subject that was known as Derek Hale for a while.

"Alright, do you want some breakfast before you go?" Her mom asked, taking a bite of her own. The redhead shook her head.

"No thanks mom. I'm going to meet them over at Stiles' place and then I think we're going to head out to an early lunch." Sophia said, shrugging her shoulders, so happy that parents weren't like werewolves. They wouldn't be able to hear the ticks of her heart as she lied to them.

"Alright, have fun." Her dad said, smiling at her. Sophia smiled back before making her way to the door, putting on a pair of black combat boots before going outside, closing the door behind her as she made her way to the Challenger. Getting inside, she started it up and backed out, heading in the direction of the substation.

**XXX**

Sophia was walking down the stairs. She wasn't looking forward to the time she would be spending with Derek, there were still some things that bugged the girl about him as an Alpha but she was going to be civil, for the pack if nothing else.

"What is this?" She heard Isaac asked, looking over, she saw that Derek was kneeling in front of a large wooden chest. Isaac was standing beside him, looking at something in the lid while Boyd and Erica stood a couple of feet away.

"It's a triskele." Boyd said, pointing towards the chest. They all turned to him. "Spirals mean different things, past, present, future. Mother, father, child." Boyd explained.

"Do you know what it means to me?" Derek asked his youngest Beta, as if not expecting to get the answer right.

"Alpha, Beta, Omega?" Boyd guessed. Derek paused for a moment, looking at the boy before nodding his head softly.

"That's right. It's a spiral. Reminds us that we can all rise to one and fall to another." Derek said, standing up. Oh, Sophia hadn't noticed he was only wearing a tight, grey wife beater… She bit her lips before shaking her head. "Betas can become Alphas, but Alphas can also fall to Betas or even Omegas."

"Like Scott and Sophia." Isaac said. Derek looked over at him, Isaac looked up at him.

"They're with us." Derek said, looking back into the trunk.

"Really?" Isaac asked, looking around. "Then where are they now?"

"Right here dumbass." Sophia said as she descended the rest of the stairs. "Of course, I don't see how that's any of your business." She said, as she hit the main floor. She walked over, stopping in front of the chest and putting her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow at him. "And Scott is out looking for Jackson, like Derek wanted." She said, nudging her head towards the Alpha.

"Don't worry; he's not going to have it easy tonight either." Derek said while reaching into the trunk.

"What about you?" Boyd asked Sophia. She turned to him and gave him a small smile.

"I'm a born-wolf like Derek. I'm taught for a very young age to control myself during the full moons. This one will be no different for me." She said and Boyd nodded softly. She was always confident in her ability to control herself during the full moons.

"That's a lie." Derek said, pulling something out of the chest. "None of us are going to have an easy time. There's a price you pay for this kind of power. You get the ability to heal. But tonight you're going to want to kill anything you can find." Derek handed the thing to Isaac before reaching into the chest and pulling out another one.

"Good thing I had my period last week, then." Erica said and Sophia rolled her eyes, brushing her bangs back. She was still getting used to the new and crude Erica. Boyd looked at her and chuckled, both Derek and Isaac were trying to hide their smiles.

"Well, this one's for you." Derek said, holding up what he'd just pulled out of the chest. Sophia glanced down, she'd never seen restraint devices like this before.

**XXX**

"Are you going to Lydia's party?" Sophia asked into the phone. She was sitting on the chest now that Derek had pulled everything out of it. He didn't want to lock them up right at the moment, so they were all talking amongst themselves and Derek as they looked at the medieval torture devices they would have to wear.

'_Yeah, are you coming?' _Stiles asked.

'_I'll be there.' _Scott said. Sophia nodded, humming. They'd made it a three way call since none of them were close to the other to use the same phone.

"I'm gonna skip tonight." Sophia said, watching Derek as he moved around, talking with each Beta.

'_How come?' _Both boys asked at the same time.

"That was a little weird, don't you think? And Derek asked me to help with Erica, Isaac, and Boyd." She said, watching as each Beta tuned into her conversation when she said their names. A quick and forceful 'hey' from Derek made them all pay attention to him again.

'_I don't understand, just a few weeks ago, you wanted to kill him and now you're helping him take care of his Betas?' _Stiles said and Sophia was sure that he would be flailing. She rolled her eyes.

"We're trying to be civil to each other. In a situation like this, it helps to have friends, rather than enemies." She said to then and the phone was silent.

'_She's right you know.' _Scott said and Stiles groaned.

'_Just, be careful okay? We need you getting hurt because Derek can't control his gang.' _Sophia snickered.

"I know. Don't worry about me. I got this." Sophia said, watching as Derek glanced over to her before turning his gaze back to Boyd. "Is Jackson going to be there?" She asked softly.

'_We're not sure. But we'll be there and so will Allison.' _Scott said and Sophia nodded.

"Alright, remember, I'm just a phone call away if you need me." The redhead said.

'_We know.' _Both boys said together and Sophia chuckled.

"Alright, see you guys later."

'_See ya.'_

'_Bye.' _She hung up her phone before putting it back into her pocket, watching as Derek moved. The way that tank top clung to him was so unfair.

**XXX**

Night fell and Derek decided that it was time to chain up the Betas before the moon got too high in the sky. "What if we break free?" Boyd asked Derek.

"Then you'll do anything you can to get out of here." Derek answered as he fixed the chains. "Probably try to kill me and Sophia, then kill each other and kill anything else with a heartbeat."

"That's lovely. Thanks for the lie Derek." Sophia said, looking at the Alpha as she tested the binds on Boyd's other side.

"I need you to hold her." Derek said to Sophia, looking at Erica.

"So how come she gets to wear the headband thing?" Isaac asked as he crowded in close to Erica's left side to help hold her. Sophia stepped up to her right.

"Because she'll be able to withstand more pain than the two of you." Derek said and Sophia chuckled while Erica snickered. She was nervous, holding Sophia's wrist in a death grip while Sophia held her. "I've got an extra one if you really want it." Derek said to Isaac. The boy shook his head.

"I'll pass." He said.

"You ready?" Derek asked Erica. She nodded her head.

"Yeah." Derek put the thing on her head, tightening the first of the large bolts in it; it was directly in the middle of her forehead. Sophia held her tight while turning her head away. Erica gasped when the bolt hit her forehead before she began screaming as he screwed the bolt tighter and tighter. Sophia thought the bolt was tight enough so she reached out and grabbed Derek's wrist. The Alpha looked at her before moving onto a different bolt.

**XXX**

Erica and Boyd were tied securely but that didn't stop Sophia was being worried if they broke free. She stood next to Derek as the man hooked Isaac up. He was much calmer than his packmates. He was still panting but he wasn't trying to kill either of them so she considered that a good sign. "How do you two not feel this?" Isaac asked looked between the free Alpha and Beta.

"We feel every second of it." Derek said, testing the bonds on Isaac's wrists.

"Then how do you control it?" Isaac asked.

"Find an anchor. Something meaningful to you. Bind yourself to it. Keeps the human side in control." Derek answered. Sophia noticed that he was very short with people during full moons, well… more than normal anyway.

"What is it for you?" Isaac asked, causing the Alpha to look up from where he was attaching the chains.

"Anger." Derek answered.

"Scott and Stiles." Sophia answered, tilting her head slightly as she watched the two betas at the end of the train.

"Everyone is different." Derek said. "Alright, that should do it." He said once he was finished. Derek pulled one of the chains attached to the train and the leg of the seat it was attached to broke easily. Derek looked at Isaac and then Sophia. The girl looked at the Alpha before looking back at the two betas in the back; their eyes had changed to Beta gold.

**XXX**

"So… um… you know, not to question you Big Bad but…" Sophia winced when they all roared almost at the same time. She could hear the sub car groaning and the chains shaking, they were not going to make tonight easy on the Alpha/Beta pair. "We might need some help." Derek nodded and pulled out his phone, calling someone.

"Scott, can you call me back? I'm probably gonna need some help." He said before hanging up the phone.

"Probably?" She asked before there was a large crash in the train. They both turned to it.

"Definitely gonna need some help." Derek said before he walked closer to the train. Derek let his claws out and Sophia did the same before they walked back onto the car. Once inside, he began walking back to Boyd and Erica. They looked to be a little more lost to the power of the full moon. Isaac jumped out at him as he walked by but the chains held him in place. Sophia followed behind Derek, trying to remain directly in his steps. As she tried to walk by Isaac, he jumped out at her and when he did, the whole seat moved in. She jumped back against the wall, nodding to Derek when he turned around to check on her.

"Derek!" Sophia called to the Alpha when she realized that Erica had gotten loose. He ducked her claws before throwing her aside. Sophia went to help him when she got a set of claws in her right thigh, causing her to howl in pain as Isaac dragged her back over to him. She glanced back at him, he had gotten free too (not that she was surprised about that one, the way he was held down was done very shitty… thanks Derek). She growled at him as she tried to kick him off of her. Derek tried to come over to help her but was grabbed by Boyd from behind and thrown to the ground. Sophia snarled at Isaac, letting her eyes bleed gold as she managed to kick him in the head. He released his claws from her thigh. She tried to stand up but a second later; she was pinned under Isaac again, covering her face as he slashed at her arms with his claws.

Derek wasn't faring much better, he was pinned under the other two betas. Erica was holding him down by his throat while Boyd used his claws in a similar fashion of the way Isaac used them. Derek managed to push his Betas off of him and get to his feet before Boyd was back on him, grabbing him around the neck. As the big Beta walked Derek backwards, Erica was waiting for him. He threw an elbow back; hitting Erica in the face and knocking her down before he turned his attention back to Boyd and head-butting him. When Boyd was down, he punched him, trying to buy him enough time to chain Erica back up. As he did that, Boyd got up and moved to leave the train. Isaac looked up at his pack mate, something changing in his eyes before he jumped up to attack him, pushing him back into a seat.

Sophia crawled backwards to get away from them before using the wall to get back onto her feet. The wounds on her arms, face, and leg were healing. Derek tried to move towards the two male betas when Erica slashed him across the back. He turned around and punched her in the face, knocking her unconscious. Derek turned back to the male betas, noticing that Isaac wasn't actually attacking Boyd, he was holding him down. He gave a small nod to Derek and Sophia as she moved over to the Alpha. They nodded back, before Sophia let out a breath.

**XXX**

Sophia worked to quickly re-chain Boyd and Erica while Derek worked on Isaac. Derek looked back at the she-wolf as he stood up. She nodded as she came back towards the front of the car. They were all secure. She laid a hand on Isaac's shoulder as she walked by him. She followed the Alpha out. When he hit the ground from the stairs, she leaned forward, resting against his back as she stood on the second stair from the ground. He didn't move away from her, if anything, his relaxed into her touch. Sophia breathed deep, taking in his scent before he tensed under her. Sophia pulled away and followed his eyes. "Lydia?" She questioned softly as she came around the Alpha to see the strawberry blonde. She didn't say anything; she raised her hand to her lips and opened her palm, blowing whatever purple dust was in it all over Sophia and Derek. Immediately, both werewolves closed their eyes but quickly loss consciousness, falling to the floor.

Sophia groaned as she opened her eyes, blinking a few times. What the hell was that stuff? The only thing she could think of was wolfsbane. She sat up, looking around, Lydia was gone but so was Derek. "Derek?" She asked, listening for a response. "Derek!" She called for the Alpha, standing up. She stepped back onto the train; Isaac was actually asleep with Erica and Boyd still unconscious in the back. "Where the hell are you?" She mumbled to herself as she walked back out of the train.


	21. Fury

**A/N: This may be the shortest chapter I have. There wasn't really much substance for me to work with in this episode but I hope you guys like it anyway! I'll have the next chapter up as soon as possible, things have been a little crazy around here.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

"Derek or I will be back to get you out, I promise." Sophia said to Isaac as she left the train. He boy looked at her and nodded his head before closing his eyes again. She laid a soft hand on his shoulder before walking back to check the chains of Boyd and Erica. They were still unconscious and the chains were still strong so she ran out of the subcar, up the stairs, and to her car. She hoped in, praying that none of the betas got lose before she started it up and pulled out. She had no idea where she was going. She had no idea where Lydia would have wanted to take Derek but she decided that she would try the most obvious place and that would be the Hale house. She had to go through town to get to the Hale house and when she passed by the Sheriff's Department, she noticed that Stiles' Jeep and Derek's Camaro were sitting right outside. She tilted her head before making a U-turn and pulling up behind the Camaro.

She cut the car off and getting out; she walked up to the station. She stepped inside and immediately noticed that there was no one there. That was strange to her; there was always someone at the front desk. She walked around it, seeing a police officer lying dead on the ground. Sophia walked over to the door that to be buzzed open. She glanced around before extending her claws, trying to pry it open. She worked at it for a second before it popped open. She smiled softly, standing up and opening the door to come face to face with the Kanima. Her smile faded as she nodded her head, perfect. A glance inside revealed Scott, Matt, Stiles, and Derek (the latter two were paralyzed on the ground). Matt pointed the gun at Stiles head.

"Sophia, come in." He said and the girl stepped inside slowly, waiting for the Kanima to move. Jackson moved to the side slightly, allowing her to step deeper into the room, when she was inside, he closed the door behind her. She turned her head to the window when she heard a car pull up.

"Is that her?" Matt asked and Sophia glanced at Scott.

"My mom." He whispered.

"Do what I tell you to and I won't hurt her. I won't even let Jackson near her." Matt said.

"Scott, don't trust him!" Stiles yelled from where he was laying on Derek. Matt rolled him over and put his foot down on Stiles' throat.

"This work better for you?" Sophia's eyes became gold as she roared at Matt. She took a step closer before he lifted the gun and pulled the trigger. He shot her in the stomach; she gasped and dropped the transformation, unable to hold it. She put her hands to her stomach as she fell to her knees. Matt pressed down a little harder on Stiles' neck and aimed the gun at Sophia's head.

"Hey, just stop! Stop!" Scott yelled to Matt.

"Then do what I tell you to." The other boy ordered.

"Okay." Scott relented. "Stop!" Matt stepped off of Stiles and lowered his gun from Sophia. Stiles coughed and gagged when he was finally able to breathe again.

"You, take them in there." Matt said to Jackson as he motioned to the office right beside them. "You…with me." He said to Scott. The beta nodded and left with Matt. Jackson grabbed Stiles and Derek, dragging them into the room. Sophia managed to stand up and follow them, a hand pressed tightly to her stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. Jackson watched her closely as she sat beside Derek's and Stiles' heads. It was maybe one or two minutes before Sophia heard a gunshot. She moved to get up but Jackson was in front of her in an instant. She glared at him before relenting and sitting back down. She glanced over at Stiles and Derek beside her, they were both still paralyzed.

She could hear John yelling but after that, everything went silent. It was another three or four minutes before Matt and Scott came back into the room. Sophia could see that Scott was now sporting a similar bullet hole in his abdomen as well.

"The evidence is gone." Scott said, turning to look at the other boy. Apparently, that had all been done before Sophia had gotten to the station. "Why don't you just go?"

"You think the evidence mattered that much?" Matt asked him. "No, no. I want the book."

"What? What book?"

"The bestiary. Not just a few pages, I want the whole thing." Sophia looked at Derek and Stiles, both who looked at each other before looking at her.

"I don't have it." Scott tried to explain to him. "It's Gerard's. What do you want it for anyway?"

"I need answers."

"Answers to what?"

"To this." Matt said as he lifted his shirt to reveal his side. There was a patch of skin that was slowly turning into the color of the Kanima's scales. It glimmered in the light, making it even more noticeable.

**XXX**

Matt lead Scott out of the room to try and find a way to get the bestiary while Jackson stayed to watch over the three in the office. She watched Jackson closely, he was half-transformed.

"Hey." Stiles whispered, gaining the attention of both Derek and Sophia. "You know what's happening to Matt?" The boy asked Derek. Sophia watched them silently.

"You know, the books not going to help him." Derek whispered back. "You can't just break the rules, not like this."

"What do you mean?" Stiles asked the Alpha.

"Universe balances things out. Always does."

"Is it because he's using Jackson to kill people who don't deserve it?"

"Killing people himself."

"So if Matt breaks the rules of the Kanima, he becomes the Kanima?"

"Balance."

"Will be believe us if we tell him that?"

"Probably not." Sophia whispered, scooting closer to them without drawing Jackson's attention.

"Okay, he's gonna kill all of us when he gets that book, isn't he?" Stiles asked.

"Yep." Derek and Sophia answered and Stiles sighed.

"Alright, so what do we do?" He asked. "Do we just sit here and wait to die?"

"Unless we can find a way to push the toxins out of Derek's body faster. I'm healed but I'm going to need help." Sophia whispered down to them.

"Like triggering the healing process?" Stiles asked and the girl nodded. She slowly put a hand on Derek's neck before running it down to his shoulder, under his shirt. "What are you doing?" Stiles asked, looking at the two werewolves out of the corner of his eyes. She kept an eye on Jackson as she leaned down over them and laid Derek's hand against his thigh so that he could use his claws on himself while Sophia extended hers and dug them into his shoulder. He grunted lightly and panted through his nose. "Gross."

**XXX**

Sophia had lost track of how long she'd sat there with her claws buried into Derek's shoulder. "So is that hypothetical situation we talked about getting any less hypothetical?" Stiles asked quietly.

"I think so." Derek answered. "I can move my toes." He said. Stiles looked at him and sighed.

"Dude, I can move my toes." Derek looked over at Stiles just before the power went out. Sophia pulled her hand back from Derek, listening as the alarm began going off. Sophia lay over Stiles' and Derek's heads when rapid gunfire came through the front windows. Jackson stepped out of the room and Sophia stood up, looking through the window she saw smoke filling the main part of the station. She quietly followed Jackson, making her way behind him. She kicked him hard in the center of the back, knocking him forward into Scott's arms. Scott threw him down, following Sophia into the office and over to Stiles and Derek. The Alpha was trying hard to roll over so he could get to his feet.

"Take him. Go!" Derek told Scott as the boy helped his friend up. They left as Sophia helped Derek roll over. "What are you doing here?" He finally asked her. She was sure that he wanted to ask her the whole time but it never had seemed like an appropriate question for their situation.

"I left Isaac and the other betas. They were still unconscious and their bonds were tight. I told Isaac one of us would get him in the morning." She said, throwing the Alpha's arm around her shoulders as she helped him up. "You know, this is a lot easier when we're not floating in eight feet of water." She said and Derek gave a humorless chuckle. The girl shifted into her beta form, she could smell Gerard and Chris among the other hunters outside. Derek grabbed her arm, pulling her through the station. She then noticed that he was in his beta form as well. "Where are we going?" She asked, her voice distorted by her fangs.

"To get Matt." He said, his voice just as bad. They entered the holding cell area and Sophia stopped. "What?" He asked.

"Mama McCall's in there. I can't let her see me like this." Sophia said, taking a step deeper into the shadows.

"I need you." Derek said, turning back to the girl.

"And I'll here. I'll come in when you really need me. I just don't want her to see me if she doesn't have to. I don't want to explain this. This is something Scott needs to do." She said, laying her hand on Derek's chest, just above his heart. She could feel it beating strongly under her hand. He nodded before turning and walking into the room. He stepped forward but before he could get to Matt, the Kanima came in. Sophia leaned her head back and sighed. "Fuck me running." She stepped closer as Derek threw the Kanima into a desk. The fight only lasted a few seconds before the Kanima was against the bars of the cell where Melissa was. Sophia growled as she ran in and dug her claws into the back of the Kanima's neck. A second later, Scott drove his into the Kanima's back. Together, they threw him away from them and he began to slink away, Derek roared before jumping over the desk and following him.

"Oh, God, Scott? Sophia?" Melissa said to them. "Are you okay?" The woman was crying. Scott turned to her first, allowing her to see him in his beta form for the first time. Sophia looked over her shoulder, allowing Melissa to see hers. The woman gasped in shock. Scott stood up from his crouch, turning to face Melissa. She backs up to the back of the cell and begins to cry. The redhead puts a hand on Scott's arm, pulling him along as she left the room.

"Go that way." Scott said as he pointed in the opposite direction. She nodded and shifted out of her beta form, walking through the station. She was looking for anything but mostly Matt or the Kanima (preferably Matt if she was being honest with herself, she could take him on alone). She sighed when she didn't find anything at all but she jumped when Derek grabbed her arm, pulling her to one of the exits.

"What about Stiles and Scott?" She asked, looking back at the building. Derek took her to the tree line, forcing her back against a tree. She grunted and growled at him, her fingertips tingling to let her claws loose.

"Did you know?" He asked, growling as his fangs dropped.

"Know what?" She asked, trying to get Derek's hands off of her shoulder.

"That Scott is working with Gerard." He growled and the girl stopped struggling, looking up at him in shock.

"What?" She asked and Derek let her go. She continued to lean against the tree. "What did you say?" She asked, finally standing up and leaning towards the Alpha.

"Scott is working with Gerard. He got into my pack, gave him all kinds of information, and is doing everything the man wants." Derek said, pacing slightly. Sophia stumbled over her words, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water.

"I had no idea." She said and she knew there were no ticks in her heartbeat, she was telling the truth. She had no idea that he was working with the older hunter. That didn't seem like something Scott would do. He ran his fingers through his hair. "Look, don't say anything to Scott. Okay? I won't say anything. We let him think everything is the way it should be but we just slowly fade him out of all of the research and discussions. Everything will be fine and then when the time is right, we can question him, okay?" She said, laying a hand on the Alpha's back, right over the Triskelion tattoo. He sighed before nodding; he was silently trying to figure out when Sophia's presence suddenly brought a calming feel over him.


	22. Battlefield

**A****/N: Finally got this chapter done, almost done with season 2 and then there's season 3! I hope you guys are liking the story as much as you all seem to! Please review, fave, and follow!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia sighed, flipping through another book before throwing it aside. Derek did the same thing, almost hitting her when he threw the book to the 'useless' pile. "Take it easy." She muttered to the Alpha, scanning another book before putting it in the same pile. Derek skimmed one more book before stopping and looking up.

"You decided." He said as he turned around. Sophia looked over her shoulder; Erica and Boyd were standing there. "When?"

"Tonight." Erica said after glancing at Boyd.

"Everyone's going to be at the game." Boyd said to the Alpha. "And we figured it was the best time."

"It's not like we want to." Erica said. Sophia apparently was a little lost. She watched as Derek walked over to his two betas.

"What do you want?" He asked in a firm voice.

"Since I just turned 16 a month ago, I wouldn't mind getting my license." Erica said with a small smile before it fell. "I can't do that if I'm dead, you know."

"Well, I told you there was a price." Derek said and Sophia set the book in her hands down, crossing her arms over her chest. Boyd glanced at Erica.

"You didn't say it would be like this." Boyd said.

"Yeah but I told you how to survive. You do it as a pack." Derek said, looking between his two betas. "And you're not a pack without an Alpha."

"Derek…" Sophia said softly when the man turned around to walk back towards her. He was being a little harsh.

"We know." Boyd said to the man. Derek turned back to them.

"You wanna look for another pack?" He asked after a moment of silence. "How are you even going to find one?" Erica looked up at Boyd.

"We think we already did." Boyd said and Derek looked surprised. Sophia walked over to them, careful to avoid any holes in the floor.

"How?" She asked. She was lucky when she moved from Colorado that the Hale pack took her in so quickly and taught her almost everything she knows. She was also a young pup; packs are more likely to take in a young wolf rather than one that is, like Erica said, sixteen years old.

"We were out in the woods, getting ready to head back this way when, all of the sudden, we heard all this howling. It was unbelievable." Erica said to the Alpha and the other she-wolf.

"Yeah, there must have been a dozen of them." Boyd said with a small smile.

"Maybe more." Erica added in.

"Yeah or maybe only two." Derek chimed in, reminding them of the simple possibility. "You know what the Beau Geste effect is? If they modulate their howls with a rapid shift in tone, two wolves can sound like 20."

"Look, that doesn't matter, okay?" Erica said. "There's another pack out there. There's got to be. We've made up our minds."

"We've lost Derek and it's over." Boyd said. "We're leaving."

"No." Derek said and Sophia looked at the Alpha next to her. "No, you're running. And once you start, you don't stop. You'll always be running." Erica grabbed Boyd's hand and pulled him out of the house. Sophia sighed and rubbed her forehead as Derek turned back to the books. Sophia turned and looked at the man for a moment before she stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso. He didn't react at all so she slid back to his side, releasing him. A second alter, she felt another presence in the room, right where Erica and Boyd had just been standing. Derek grabbed a piece of mirror that was sitting in front of him before he turned around and threw it quickly. Peter had caught it easily, it was just pressing against his throat as he tapped his index finger on it a couple of times. The redhead's eyes shifted to gold as she growled.

"I expected a slightly warmer welcome but point taken." Peter said, pulling the mirror from his neck and dropping it onto the ground. Derek laid a hand on Sophia's shoulder and she stopped growling, slowly letting her gold eyes fade back into green. "It's quite a situation you've got yourself into here, Derek. I mean, I'm out of commission for a few weeks and suddenly, there's lizard people, geriatric psychopaths, and you're cooking up werewolves out of every self-esteem-deprived adolescent in town." Sophia growled softly again. Derek gently grabbed her arm and pulled her to his side, leaning her back against the table behind them.

"What do you want?" Derek asked his newly revived uncle.

"Well, I want to help." Peter answered. "You're my nephew." Peter began walking closer to the pair. "The only relative that I have left. You know, there's still a lot that I can teach you and Sophie." The woman raised an eyebrow at her name. Peter was the one that taught her to shift her eyes on command and howl but… she tried not to think about those times when he still seemed a bit on the crazy side. "Can we just talk?" The older man asked, laying a hand on Derek's shoulder. The Alpha looked down at it.

"Sure, let's talk." He said before he picked Peter up and threw him back into the railing of the stairs. The older man grunted when he hit the floor and Sophia almost wanted to laugh. She glanced at her watch.

"Shit." She turned to grab her bags.

"What?" Derek asked, looking away from Peter as the older man tried to get up.

"I have a lacrosse game tonight." She threw her bags over her shoulder. "I'll be back after or I might be out celebrating. You're invited to come if you want and so is creepy uncle just so we can keep an eye on him. My cells on if you don't come. I'll see you later." She said in a rush as she ran past Peter and Derek to her car.

**XXX**

Sophia quickly ran into the locker room and began changing into her uniform. She threw her hair back in a ponytail at the nap of her neck before slipping on her cleats. She grabbed her stick, gloves, and helmet out of her locker before setting them on the bench and closing it up. Finstock came over the Megaphone, doing his usual speech from _Independence Day._ All the boys around her cheer as she rolled her eyes and chuckled. She slipped on her arm pads, noticing Gerard coming in and giving a speech. Sophia ran over to Scott after he got done talking to the couch.

"They're benching you?" She asked and he nodded.

"Listen, you're on the field tonight. Keep an eye on Jackson. Anything funny and you stop him." He said, putting his hands on her shoulders. She rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"No shit Sherlock. I got this. I did it with you and I can do it with Jackson." She said, patting his shoulder.

"Here we go." Scott said as they walked out.

"Yep… here we go." Sophia said, putting her helmet on. She was the only one of the three musketeers on the field; it hadn't been this way in a couple of months. It was old and strange to her. She threw the ball around with Danny for a few minutes, just warming up when number 24, _Stiles Stilinski,_ came out onto the field. She laughed as he came over to her. She hit his helmet with hers. He was nervous, she could smell it. She grabbed his face mask, holding him there. "We've trained for this, you know what to do. You got this and I'm right here the whole time. You played last time didn't you?"

"Kinda, sorta. I wasn't really that great and I didn't get the ball. I was a body on the field." He said, shrugging his shoulders and accidently hitting Sophia with his stick. "Sorry, sorry." He apologized when she grunted.

"It's okay. You got this." She said, smiling and hitting him once more on the head before she pushed him into position. The whistle blew and the game started.

**XXX**

The first quarter was almost over, there was a minute forty left and the opponent had two points. Sophia had managed to catch a few balls before she was tackled by the biggest player on the field… every time. Stiles caught the ball once and was tackled, tried to pick it up and was tackled again, and a ball bounced off his face mask. The whistle blew, signaling the end of that quarter. Sophia sighed as she jogged over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Just shake it off Stiles." She watched as Isaac came onto the field. She nodded her head at him. "Hey Lahey."

"Hey Princess." He said with a smirk as he walked by. She shook her head and moved to her own position. The whistle blew and Isaac took out one of their own guys and coach had to send someone else in. Isaac took out two more before Sophia ran over to him and grabbed his face mask.

"What the hell?" She asked.

"Gerard is going to have Jackson kill someone when the timer runs out. We have to get Scott on the field." He said, glancing around.

"Well, there's no one else but Scott. So he has to put him in right?" She asked and he smiled.

"Now you're getting it." She rolled her eyes and pushed him away with a fond smile.

**XXX**

Isaac hit another guy but this time when Isaac hit him, Jackson hit Isaac. Sophia ran over to him, yanking her helmet off and meeting Scott there. Jackson smirked at her as he walked by her. There was a moment that she wanted to beat his face in but decided against it. Gerard was controlling him, it was totally Jackson's fault. She knelt down beside Scott and Isaac. "It's not broken but I can't move it." Isaac said to the two other werewolves. "I think Jackson nicked me 'cause I can feel it spreading." Scott turned to where Gerard was standing was Isaac was lifted onto a stretcher to go to the locker room. She patted Isaac on the arm as he went by. She reached down and grabbed her helmet and sighed.

"You're on the field." Sophia said right before Scott's mom came running up to him.

"Something's happening, isn't it? Something more than a lacrosse game?" She asked, looking between the two teenagers.

"You should go." Scott told her.

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere." She said back. "But everything that I said before, forget it. All of it. Okay?" Sophia's brow furrowed. "If you two can do something to help, then you do it. You have to."

"We will." Scott said. They nodded to each other before Sophia slipped on her helmet and running back over to her team, Scott right behind her.

**XXX**

The fourth quarter had just started and right away, after getting the ball, Scott was tackled. Stiles managed to grab the ball and was tackled as well. Sophia knocked the ball from an opposing player's stick, grabbing it off the ground and making three strides towards the net before she was tackled from behind, knocking her to the ground. She sat up and looked out at the scoreboard. There were ten minutes left in the entire game and the score was 4 to 9. They were loosing.

Sophia got up and dusted herself off, giving her arm a chance to heal. She could honestly say that she'd never had so many broken bones playing Lacrosse before. This was a particularly brutal game… or maybe it was the fact that she was thinking of how to protect her friends, family, pack, and Alpha. Throw in a crazy paralytic lizard person, a psychotic old man, and a recently back from the dead, sociopathic former Alpha… yeah, things just keep getting worse.

Five minutes later at the game was now 7 to 9. Sophia had sent Scott after Isaac. Gerard had disappeared after they'd all been tackled down and something told both betas that he was after Isaac, considering the blonde boy was one of his betas. The other team was destroying players before the ball got lost in all of the confusion. Sophia smiled slightly when she saw it roll over to a certain boy. Stiles just stood there, looking at the ball before finally picking it up with his stick. She ran over to him, leaning into him to whisper. "Run." Stiles looked at her before following her advice. He ran all the way to the goal before he stopped and looked at the oncoming team. "Shoot it!" She yelled to him and he did, making it in.

"I scored a goal?" He asked confused. The scoreboard changed to eight. "I scored a goal!" He yelled excitedly. Sophia ran over to him and jumped into his arms briefly before jumping down.

"That's how you do it!" She said, high-fiving him. Sophia managed to get the ball the next time and she dodged an oncoming player before throwing it to the only open player which happened to be Stiles. He caught the ball and took off running. He even spun around a player from the opposite team and managed to get another goal. They were tied, 9 to 9, with two minutes to go. Sophia ran over and hugged him, slapping him on the top of the helmet with a large smile on her face.

Sophia got the ball one more time and passed it to Stiles again. He ran all the way down and scored another goal. 10 to 9. Sophia ran over and tackled Stiles in a hug before the rest of the team came over and did the same. She pulled away, watching Stiles celebrate before noticing that Jackson was gone. Her smile faded as she looked around. She couldn't find him in the crowd or out on the field. The buzzer sounded just as she caught sight of him and as she moved towards him, she was tackled by another one of her teammates. She took her eyes off of him for a second and when she looked back, he was gone. As she looked for him again, the lights of the stadium began to go out. People were screaming and running but Sophia didn't know what was happening. The lights came back on just as suddenly as they went out and Sophia could see someone lying on the field. Sophia ran over, meeting Scott and Melissa on the way there. She was surprised to see that it was Jackson lying there. Melissa knelt down beside Jackson, checking for a pulse. Sophia glanced behind her when she felt Isaac there. Melissa lifted Jackson's jersey to see what looked like stab wounds… he'd attacked himself with his own claws. Melissa began trying to revive Jackson.

"Where's Stiles? Where the hell is my son?" The Sheriff said and Sophia began looking around for him. He was nowhere to be seen. She hit Scott's arm, looking up at the boy. She looked at her, brow furrowed in confusion and worry. Where was he?


	23. Master Plan

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, life happened. This is the season finale for season two! I know a lot of you are wondering when Derek and Sophia are getting together and they are soon. As you will see from this chapter, things are getting interesting. Jennifer gives their relationship a bit of a push so please hang on just a little longer! Please don't forget to review, fave, and follow! **

**Max Johnson is portrayed (in my mind) by David Henrie, just in case you were wondering what he looked like! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus and Max Johnson!**

**XXX**

Sophia stood beside Scott and Isaac as they talked with the Sheriff. "I got to meet with the medical examiner and try and figure out what happened with Jackson. I've got an APB out on Stiles. His Jeep is still in the parking lot so that means…" The man faded off. "I don't know what that means." Sophia licked her lips. "Look, if he answers his phone, if he answers his emails, if either one of you see him…"

"We'll call you." Isaac said gently.

"Look, he's probably just freaked out from all the attention or something." Scott said. "We'll find him." Sophia offered the man a small, gentle smile. He nodded, smiling back.

"Yeah. I'll see you, okay?" He said as he turned to leave the locker room.

"McCall." Finstock said as he came over to the three. "We need you on the team, okay? You know I can't put you on the field next season if you don't get your grades up."

"Yeah, I know, Coach." Scott answered.

"Alright." Finstock said and he moved like he was going to move away from them before he pulled back. "I mean, I know I yell a lot, but it's not like I hate you guys. I kind of hate Greenburg, but you know, that's different. It's Greenburg. I'm just saying we… I need you on the team. Get your grades back up."

"I will." Scott said determined.

"I know." Finstock said before he walked away.

"Is that everyone?" Scott asked. Isaac and Sophia stepped out from the lockers and looked around.

"I think so." Isaac said with a sigh. They turned around at the sound of twisting metal. Looking down, they saw the twisted remains of Jackson's locker door as their feet. They looked up, watching Scott shifted through the locker quickly. "You're going to find him by scent?"

"Yeah, the three of us are." Scott said, handing them both pieces of clothing.

"How come you get his shirt and Sophia and I get his shoes?" Isaac asked, looking over at Scott. Scott jumped before he hit Isaac and Sophia, they turned his attention to where he was looking and they saw Derek standing there.

"Derek?" Sophia asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"We need to talk." Derek said seriously. Peter stepped up behind him and Sophia rolled her eyes.

"All of us." Peter said and Sophia resisted the urge to growl.

"Holy shit." Scott said and Sophia nodded.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." The girl said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What the hell is this?" Scott asked, taking a step closer to Derek.

"You know, I thought the same thing when I saw you talking to Gerard at the sheriff's station." Derek said to Scott.

"Derek." Sophia said seriously, glaring at the Alpha. The redhead hadn't had time to ask Scott about that with the game and Stiles going missing.

"Okay, hold on. He threatened to kill my mom." Scott responded. "And I had to get close to him. What was I supposed to do?"

"I'm gonna go with Scott on this one. Have you seen his mom? She's gorgeous." Peter said.

"Shut up." Scott, Sophia, and Derek all said at the same time. Peter rolled his eyes.

"Who is he?" Isaac asked Scott and Sophia.

"He's Peter, Derek's uncle." Scott answered.

"Little while back he tried to kill us all, then we set him on fire, and Derek slashed his throat." Sophia answered the rest of the question. Derek nodded his head with an unamused look on his face. Peter waved.

"Hi." Isaac gave him a forced smile.

"That's good to know." The boy said.

"How is he alive?" Scott asked.

"Look, short version is he knows how to stop Jackson." Derek said without explaining the whole story, which probably had something to do with Lydia if what happened during the full moon was any indication. "And maybe how to save him."

"Well, that's very helpful, except Jackson's dead." Isaac said to the Alpha.

"What?" Derek asked as his and Peter's faces showed shock.

"Yeah, Jackson's dead. It just happened on the field." Scott filled in the blank. Derek turned to look back at Peter.

"Okay, why is no one taking this as good news?" Isaac asked.

"Because if Jackson's dead, it didn't just happen." Peter answered in the mysterious way Sophia was pretty sure she was going to have to get used to if the wolf hung around. "Gerard wanted it to happen."

"But why?" Derek asked.

"Well, that's exactly what we need to figure out. And something tells me the window of opportunity is closing." Peter said as he walked closer to the others. "Quickly."

**XXX**

The four of them went back to the Hale house to look for whatever it was that Peter needed. Scott's phone vibrated and he took it out of his pocket. He sighed. "They found Stiles." He said and Sophia let out a sigh of her own.

"Look, I told you, I looked everywhere." Derek said to Peter.

"You didn't look here." Peter said as he got down on the ground and reached under the stairs for something. He pulled out and held it carefully in his hands as he blew the dust from the top of it.

"What is that, a book?" Derek asked. Peter turned his him.

"No, it's a laptop. What century are you living in?" Peter asked him before he opened it. Derek rolled his eyes and glared at Sophia when she covered her laugh with a cough.

"It's dusty in here." She said, waving her hand around her face as she continued to fake cough.

"A few days after I got out of the coma, I transferred everything that we had. Fortunately, the Argents aren't the only ones that keep records." Peter said, closing the laptop and looking at the other three werewolves. Scott phone went off and Sophia glanced at him before she followed the Hales deeper inside the house.

"Hey." Scott calls, getting her attention. "My mom is at the hospital and something is going on with Jackson. I'm gonna take Isaac and go over there."

"Do you need me to go too?" Sophia asked, tilting her head. "I can, Thing One and Two should be fine without me."

"I resent that statement." Peter said and she rolled her eyes.

"No, stay with them. It might be nothing or it might be something. Just keep your phone handy and we'll let you know." She nodded her head at him.

"Be careful." She said as he walked away. He turned and gave her a small smile.

"Always." He grabbed Isaac and they walked out the door. Sophia took in a deep breath before going into the room with the two Hales.

**XXX**

"They say that he's in some kind of transparent casing made from the venom coming out of his claws." Sophia said to Peter as she watched him type and scroll. Derek was on the other side of him, listening quietly.

"That sounds officially terrifying." Peter said, one hand propping his head up as the other one scrolls.

"They also say that he's starting to move." Sophia relayed the information from her voicemail before ending the call and putting it back into her pocket.

"Okay, look, I think I found something." Peter said, now using both hands to work the computer. "Looks like what you're seeing from Jackson is just the Kanima's beta shape." Sophia and Derek leaned in closer to Peter to see the screen better.

"Well, meaning what? He can turn into something bigger?" Derek asked. Peter clicked on something that would take them to the next transformation and he leaned back.

"Bigger and Badder." He said.

"He's turning into that?" Derek asked.

"That has wings." Sophia stated, pointing to the screen.

"I can see that." Peter said, still looking at the screen.

"Call Scott." Derek said and Sophia nodded, pulling her phone out again. It rang once.

'_Yeah?'_ Scott said when he answered the phone.

"Derek and Peter say bring him to us." She said.

"_I'm not sure if we have time for that." _Scott answered.

"Scott, you have to find a way." The girl said, still leaning beside Peter.

"Look, someone actually made an animation of it." Peter said, pointing to this little icon on the screen. "Maybe it's less frightening if we…" Peter clicked on it and a screeching sound came from the computer, causing Derek and Sophia to reel back quickly, Sophia even accidently threw her phone. "Nope. Not at all." Peter said, slamming his laptop shut. Sophia glanced around until she found her phone, going and picking it up before coming back over to them.

"We should probably meet them halfway." Peter said, looking at Sophia. She put the phone back to her ear.

"Okay, Scott. Get him out of there now. Go now. Like right now." She said before hanging up. The three of them making their way to the door.

"We need Lydia." Peter said, causing the two of them to turn to him.

"Look, there's no time for…" Derek began. Peter gave them a look and Derek quieted.

"That's the problem. We're rushing. We're moving too fast and while everyone knows that a moving target is harder to hit, here we are, racing right into Gerard's crosshairs." The older man said. Derek glanced at Sophia before turning back to Peter.

"If I get the chance to kill Jackson, I'm taking it." Derek said before he continued to walk. Sophia spared a glance at Peter before sighing and following the Alpha.

**XXX**

They'd run to meet Scott and Isaac who were brining Jackson to them. Derek had decided to show off a little. He ran towards them on all fours before flipping into the air and landing in a crouch, his eyes glowing Alpha red. Sophia sighed and shook her head fondly. "Someone certainly enjoys making an entrance." Peter said and Sophia scoffed, nodding her head. She ran over to them, putting her hand on Derek's head as she passed him, ruffling his hair. Sophia stopped when she realized that the driver of the car was none other than Chris Argent, Derek stood up, having noticed this too.

"I'm here for Jackson." He said, looking at Derek. "Not you."

"Somehow, I don't find that very comforting." The Alpha said to the hunter before turning his attention to the younger wolves. "Get him inside." Sophia nodded, walking over to help Isaac and Scott bring Jackson into the warehouse.

"Where are they?" Scott asked. Derek and Sophia looked around.

"Who?" The Alpha asked.

"Peter and Lydia." Derek ignored the question and instead, turned his attention to Jackson. "Okay, well, hold on a second. You said you knew how to save him."

"We're past that." The Alpha said as he unzipped the body bag.

"What about…"

"Think about it, Scott. Gerard controls him now. He's turned Jackson into his own personal guard dog. And he set all of this in motion so that Jackson could get even bigger and more powerful." Derek said to Scott, trying to make him understand.

"No." Chris said, gaining their attention. "No, he wouldn't do that. If Jackson's a dog, he's turning rabid, and my father wouldn't let a rabid dog live."

"Of course not." A new voice entered the conversation. Sophia turned in the direction, Gerard was standing there. "Anything that dangerous, that out of control, is better off dead." Derek stood over Jackson, much like he had done to Peter and raised his arm, ready to cut Jackson's throat. Suddenly, Jackson's hand flew out of the bag, lodging five razor sharp claws in his stomach before picking him and throwing him aside.

"Derek!" Sophia called his name, listening as his body hit the ground. She turned back to Jackson, letting her fangs drop as he eyes turned gold.

"Well done to the last, Scott." Gerard said to her best friend. "Like the concerned friend you are, you brought Jackson to Derek to save him. You just didn't realize that you were also bringing Derek to me." Sophia dodged to the side when she heard the familiar sound of an arrow whistle. It ended up lodged in Isaac's shoulder.

"Allison?" Scott asked before looking down at Isaac, who groaned and writhed in pain. Sophia knelt down next to him and cupped her hands around to arrow to stop the bleeding. "Come on." Scott said, helping Isaac up so he could move him out of harm's way. Jackson turned to them and Chris shot him once. The Kanima let out a screech and hiss before he disappeared. The hunter followed the creature, unloading an entire clip before he had to change it. Sophia growled, completely shifting into her beta form before letting out a roar. The Kanima answered it as he jumped on to the roof of Chris' SUV. Before Chris could get off another shot, the Kanima wrapped his tail around the gun, pulling it from the hunter's hands. Sophia stood in front of the man, growling at the Kanima before pushing Chris towards the direction that Scott and Isaac had went.

"Go!" She said and Chris began running Sophia followed, unsurprised when he stopped to pull out a dagger. The Kanima hit him hard, knocking him down. He groaned as he laid there for a moment. Sophia slid to a stop, crouching low as the Kanima looked at her. She let out another growl just as a roar filtered through the air; Derek was standing off to the side. Scott and Isaac were right behind her, also in their beta forms. Derek growled again as he moved to take on the Kanima first. A few punches were thrown before he was slashed across the chest. Scott tried to hook his claws into the Kanima's back but he was easily knocked away by the creature. Isaac tried to hold onto its neck but, like Scott, he was thrown away. Sophia managed to get behind the Kanima and grabbed his neck, digging her claws in and holding on tightly as it tried to reach around and grab her. He gave up and used his tail instead, wrapping it around her waist and throwing her back against a wall. She growled in pain as she landed on the floor.

She panted through the pain as she watched Derek try to fight, only to end up with one of the Kanima's hands around his throat and the other one holding his arm outstretched. He threw Derek against a metal support beam before Scott came up behind it and kicked it in the back. The Kanima turned around and kicked him clear across the warehouse. Derek tried again but was slashed across the stomach; he stumbled back before he fell onto the ground, clutching his stomach. Sophia stood up and roared, causing the Kanima to turn its attention to her. She growled as she stalked closer to it. She tried to punch, kick, and claw it but none ever connected. It managed to slash her across the chest, throwing her off to the opposite side of Derek. Isaac got up to help his Alpha and pack mates only to be attacked by Allison and her daggers. She glared at Derek and made her way towards him. Sophia growled as she rolled onto her stomach, ready to take her on if she had to. She suddenly stopped, the Kanima had grabbed her from behind, making her drop the knives before a hand came up to her throat.

"Not yet sweetheart." Gerard said to Allison as he came out of the shadows.

"What are you doing?" Allison asked.

"He's doing what he came here to do." Scott said.

"Then you know." Gerard said, looking at the beta. Sophia sighed when breathing was a little easier, her wounds finally healing.

"What is he talking about?" Allison asked Gerard.

"It was the night outside the hospital, wasn't it, when I threatened your mother." Gerard said, looking at Scott once more. "I knew I saw something in our eyes. You could just smell it, couldn't you?" Sophia watched as Chris came up to stand beside Scott.

"He's dying." Isaac filled in and Sophia looked at him in shock.

"I am." Gerard confirms her suspicions. "I have been for a while now. Unfortunately, science doesn't have a cure for cancer yet but the supernatural does." His eyes were on Derek and Sophia growled. Allison gasped and Gerard made the Kanima tighten its grip on her neck.

"You monster." Chris said to him.

"Not yet." Gerard said and Sophia assumed there was supposed to be some kind of humor in that statement.

"What are you doing?!" Allison asked her grandfather. The Kanima tightened its grip again.

"You'll kill her, too?" Chris said. He was to the point where he was getting ready to cry.

"When it comes to survival, I'd kill my own son." He said and Chris steeled himself. "Scott." Gerard called. The boy looked conflicted for a moment before he dropped his beta form and began to make his way towards Derek and Sophia. Sophia stood up and pushed him away from the Alpha. She growled at him, baring her fangs.

"Sophia, move." He said calmly, hoping she would understand. She was about to speak when the Kanima's tail wrapped around her neck and pulled her back towards Allison. The redhead landed hard on her back, she gasped for breath, unable to breathe with how hard the Kanima was gripping her neck. She watched as Scott reached down and grabbed Derek forcefully by the back of the neck. Scott managed to get Derek to his feet.

"Scott, don't. You know he's gonna kill me right after." Derek said to the young beta. "You'll be an Alpha." He said to Gerard.

"That's true." The man said. "But I think he already knows that, don't you, Scott? He knows that the ultimate prize is Allison. Do this small task for me, and they can be together. You are the only piece that doesn't fit, Derek." Sophia tries to growl but the Kanima's tail tightens around her throat, causing her to cough. "And in case you haven't learned yet, there is just no competing with young love." Gerard took off his jacket.

"Scott, don't!" Derek said to the boy holding him. "Don't!"

"I'm sorry! But I have to." The boy said, pulling Derek's head back. Gerard rolled up his sleeve and put his arm into Derek's open mouth. Scott closed the Alpha's jaws and Sophia could hear the bite crunching before Gerard started to scream. He pulls his arm away and Scott drops Derek. Sophia reaches up and sinks her claws into the Kanima's tail. It hissed and released her. She rolled onto her stomach before getting to her feet and running over to Derek, kneeling down beside his head. Gerard chuckled and lifted his arm up so that everyone could see the bite. Almost immediately, the bite started oozing black blood.

"What is this?" Gerard asked. "What did you do?" Sophia helped Derek up so that his head was resting on her shoulder. Derek and Sophia looked up at Scott. The younger boy looked down at them.

"Everyone said Gerard always had a plan. I had a plan, too." Gerard pulled out his pill holder and dumped them all out. Sophia tilted her head. He crushed the pills in his hand.

"Mountain ash!" The pills were filled with it. He fell to his knees, black blood coming out of his nose, his eyes and his ears before he tipped his head back and threw up black blood. Sophia hid her face in Derek's hair. The man fell over, convulsing.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Derek asked Scott.

"Because you might be an Alpha, but you're not mine." Her best friend said before they all turned their attention to Gerard, he was trying to crawl away. He spit put a mouthful of blood.

"Kill them. Kill them all!" He yelled to the Kanima. Gerard fell dead before the Kanima released Allison. She quickly elbowed the creature in the face. It didn't do much; it recovered and knocked her down to the ground. A second later, a familiar blue Jeep came barreling through the wall and directly into the Kanima. Sophia smiled before the Kanima jumped on the hood of the Jeep. Both Lydia and Stiles jumped out and Stiles ran over to Scott while Lydia just stood by the open door of the Jeep.

"Jackson!" She yelled to the Kanima.

"Lydia!" Stiles yelled to her and tried to get her but Scott held him back. She was holding something in her hand, Sophia was too far to see what it was but it was enough to stop the Kanima in its tracks. Slowly, he shifted from the Kanima back into Jackson. Derek tried to get up using Sophia but he was still weak. Derek's eyes turned red again as he told Sophia to help him up. She did and he nudged his head towards where Peter had been hiding the entire time. Sophia watched as Jackson stepped back from Lydia and spread his arms while looking at Derek, as if he wanted Derek to kill him. It happened quickly, Derek and Peter had run him through with their claws, waiting for a moment before releasing him. Lydia ran forward and wrapped her arms around Jackson, helping him lower to the ground.

Derek began stepping back towards where Sophia was standing and Isaac moved towards the Alpha. Derek laid a hand on the younger boys shoulder. He glanced at Sophia, who was standing by his side before slowly wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into him. The redhead went easily, wrapping her arms around his waist. Jackson asked Lydia something and she answered him before he laid his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. Sophia laid her head on Derek's chest, the Alpha squeezing her waist a little tighter.

As Lydia laid him on the ground, the rest of the Kanima scales disappeared. Lydia stood up and began walking towards Stiles and the others. She was crying. Derek laid his forehead against the top of Sophia's head, lifting it a few seconds later to press a kiss to the same spot before laying his chin there, looking over at Jackson. There was a scratching sound that caused everyone to turn their attention back to the boy, even Lydia. He was closing his fist, his claws digging into the concrete. He opened his eyes and even from where Sophia was standing, she could see that they were the same shade of Beta Blue as Derek's former color. He stood up and roared before his features returned to normal. He was a werewolf. There was no hesitation as Lydia ran into his arms, the couple hugging each other close.

**XXX**

"You still haven't told them everything yet, have you?" Peter asked Derek, looking at the Alpha. Sophia and Isaac turned to look at the man before looking the Alpha.

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked. Peter leaned against a tree.

"Why do you think Derek was in such a hurry to build his pack?" The older werewolf asked. "So eager to strengthen his power and his number? When there's a new Alpha, people take notice." He said and Sophia raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest.

"People like who?" She asked as she, Isaac, and Derek turned back to the door. Peter silently watched them.

"What is this? What does this mean?" Isaac asked, pointing to the door. Derek stepped forward until he was standing beside Sophia.

"It's their symbol. And it means they're coming." He said.

"Who?" Both young betas asked.

"Alphas." Derek replied simply.

"More than one?" Isaac asked.

"A pack of them." Derek answered with a sigh.

"An Alpha pack." Peter repeated. "And they're not coming. They're already here." Sophia sighed as Isaac touched the symbol on the door. Just when she was hoping for something peaceful.

**XXX**

Sophia walked through the grocery store, pushing the cart as she looked through different kinds of cereal. Everything was just falling apart. They were two werewolves down since Erica and Boyd had left but they had gained a brand new one in Jackson and a back from the dead creepy uncle but now they have an Alpha pack in the area. Nothing was ever easy. Apparently the she-wolf wasn't really paying attention because she ran into someone. "Oh, God! I'm so sorry." She said, walking over to the boy and helping him up.

"That's okay." He said with a laugh, dusting off his jean jacket. He was attractive. Fair skin with brown hair and dark brown eyes. Nothing out of the ordinary and nothing like a certain Alpha but he was definitely attractive. "Hey, you're Sophia, right?" She blinked in surprise.

"Um…" She wasn't sure how to respond.

"Sorry, that was creepy. I'm Max Johnson. I just moved here to Beacon Hills. I heard about this awesome girl that plays on the Lacrosse team and they said you were a redhead. I just assumed you were her." He said with a small smile.

"Oh, right. Well, thanks. I'm Sophia Markus. It's nice to meet you. Will I see you at school this week?" She asked and he shook his head.

"Nah, I'm not starting until next year. I'll be a senior." She smiled.

"Me too." She glanced at her watch; she was supposed to meet Scott and Stiles at the Lacrosse field soon. "Not to be rude but I have to go, I have to meet some friends at the Lacrosse field to practice. Maybe I'll see you around." She asked as she walked back over to her cart.

"Yeah, definitely." The boy said, smiling at her. She gave him a smile before she turned back to her cart. She grabbed the cereal she wanted and began to walk down the aisle. "Hey, um… one more question." She turned back to him. "Do you think you would want to go out sometime?" She blinked in surprise before weighing her options. The only other person she was attracted to was Derek and there was no way Derek would get into a relationship with her. So why would she just waste her time and not enjoy her life. She bit her lip and smiled.

"Sure." She walked over to him, pulling his phone out of his jacket and typing in her number. She offered him a coy smile as she put it back into his jacket. "Text me sometime." She said and he smiled shyly.

"Yeah, I will." He said and she smiled before turning back to her cart and leaving. He boy watched her walk away from a smirk formed on his face and his brown eyes flickered red before returning to normal. He straightened up and walked out of the store.

**XXX**

The three best friends pulled up to the Lacrosse field in Stiles' Jeep. They'd been talking about their relationships, Stiles and Lydia, Scott and Allison, and even Sophia and her possibly-new-boyfriend Max Johnson. "So you really think she's gonna come back to you?" Stiles asked Scott as Sophia climbed over the front seats to get out.

"Yeah, I know she is." Scott said as they walked to the back of the Jeep to get their bags. "How about you and Lydia?" He asked.

"Ugh. Well, the 10-year plan for making Lydia fall in love with me may have to stretch to 15 but the plan is definitely still in motion." He said as he handed Sophia her bag and she chuckled, slinging it over her shoulder as she walked over to the goal.

"Why don't you just ask her out?" Sophia said, turning around and walking backwards as she looked at the boy. Stiles laughed.

"Yeah, okay. Why don't you just show me the throwing form and Scott get in the goal and help me make team captain like you two promised?" Sophia chuckled as she set her bag down and pulling out her stick. She threw a couple of balls on the ground for Stiles. Scott walked over to the goal.

"You know what I just realized?" He asked, turning to look at his two best friends. "I'm right back where I started."

"What do you mean?" Stiles asked, getting a ball from the ground into his net.

"I mean, no lacrosse, no popularity, no girlfriend. No nothing." Scott said and Sophia nodded. He was right. Nothing was different at this point except Scott was a werewolf and they knew Sophia was one as well.

"Dude, you still got us." Stiles said, throwing an arm around Sophia's shoulders. She chuckled.

"I had you guys before." Scott said with a smile.

"Yeah, and you still got us." Sophia said nodding with a smile.

"So life fulfilled." Stiles said and Sophia laughed.

"Very." Scott said.

"Now remember, no wolf powers." Stiles said, glancing at Scott.

"Got it." The other boy said.

"No, I mean it. No super-fast reflexes, no super eyesight, no hearing. None of that crap, okay?" Stiles clarified. Scott nodded along the whole time.

"Okay." Scott answered again. "Come on." He said, hitting both sides of the goal with his stick.

"There's really no form Stiles. Just keep both hands on the stick and swing through, just like baseball." Sophia instructed as Stiles got ready to throw it.

"You promise?" Stiles asked Scott once more.

"Would you just take the shot already?" Scott asked with a smile. Stiles nodded and turned to Sophia.

"Like I said, both hands on the stick and swing through." He nodded, getting ready. Sophia looked up at Scott and as he lifted his head, she could see his eyes changing to gold. She smiled and let her eyes do the same thing. They were a rag-tag bunch. The three best friends made up their own small pack consisting of two betas and a human. Sophia knew she wouldn't trade them for the world. Stiles reeled back and took the shot.

"I said no wolf powers!" He yelled to Scott and Sophia laughed. Definitely wouldn't trade them.


	24. Tattoo

**A/N: I have been so excited to write season 3 its ridicules! Now things are really going to get interesting for Sophia! It's all going to fall into place in this season! I can't wait! I hope you guys enjoy it and please review, fave, and follow!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia stood next to Scott as he sat in the chair at the tattoo palor. Scott had always wanted a tattoo and so, he was going to get one finally. Summer was almost over and it was probably going to be the last opportunity he got. The tattoo artist looked at the picture Scott had drawn. "Boy, it's a good think you drew me a picture." He said sarcastically and Sophia covered her mouth so that they didn't see the smile. The boy smiled at him.

"Hey Scott, sure you don't want something like this?" Stiles asked, showing them a lizard man eerily similar to the Kanima. Scott sighed and pinned Stiles with a look. "Too Soon?" The boy asked as he flipped through the rest of the book. "I don't know man, are you sure about this?" He asked. "I mean, these things are pretty permanent, you know?"

"I'm not changing my mind." Scott said with a smile.

"Okay but why two bands?" Stiles asked again. Sophia pulled up a stool and sat down beside Scott on the other side so she didn't get in the way of the artist.

"I just like it." Scott answered.

"But don't you think your first tattoo should have some sort of meaning, you know, or something?" Stiles asked.

"Getting a tattoo means something." Sophia said, pointing to the other boy.

"I don't think that's…" Stiles tried to deny.

"She's right. Tattooing goes back thousands of years." The artist said as he was getting everything ready. "The Tahitian word 'tatua' means to 'leave a mark.' Like a rite of passage."

"Yeah, you see? They get it." Scott said, motioning to Sophia and the tattoo artist.

"He's covered in tattoos, Scott, literally and I'm pretty sure Sophia has one hidden somewhere." Stiles answered, crossing his arms over his chest. Sophia chuckled and shook her head.

"Okay, you ready?" The artist turned to ask Scott. The boy nodded, clearing his throat. "You ain't got any problems with needles, do you?" He asked. Scott shook his head.

"Nope." The artist turned the needle on and put it on Scott's arm. Sophia grabbed his free hand, lacing their fingers together.

"I tend to get a little squeamish though, so…" Stiles said, as he stepped closer to watch what the man was doing. He stood for all of thirty seconds before he fainted. Scott winced slightly. Sophia shook her head at Stiles before glancing at the artist before pulling their combined hands into her lap, beginning to siphon the little bit of pain he was feeling. Scott gave her hand a little squeeze before she smiled at him, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb.

**XXX**

Once they were done, they paid and got back into the Jeep to head home. "You okay?" Stiles asked the other boy.

"Kind of burns." Scott answered, looking at his wrapped tattoo.

"Yes, you just had your skin stabbed about 100,000 times with a needle." Stiles said, holding an icepack to the side of his head.

"Yeah, but I don't think it's supposed to feel like this." Scott answered. Suddenly, he groaned loudly, jumping in his seat. "Oh, God. No, it's definitely not supposed to feel like this. I gotta take this thing off." Scott said and Sophia sat up in the middle of the seats to help him.

"No, no, no, no, Scott. Scott, please stop." Stiles said, trying to keep him from taking it off. They managed to get the thing off only to watch the thick black bands disappear from his skin. Sophia blinked; she'd never seen that happen before.

"It healed." Scott said in disbelief. Stiles exhales.

"Thank God. I hated it." Scott turned to Stiles and Stiles looked at him. "Sorry." Sophia sat back in her seat as Stiles started the Jeep.

**XXX**

Sophia sat in the back, silently texting Max. They had their first date only a few days after meeting and they'd really hit it off. He asked her to be his girlfriend at the end of their second date and they'd been dating ever since. It was a surprise to the girl to find out that she really did like this guy. He was helping her to forget about her feelings for a certain grumpy Alpha. She locked her phone before finally tuning back into the conversation that Scott and Stiles were having. She heard Allison's name so she assumed that's what it was about. "Nah, we agreed to give each other the summer. No texts, no calls."

"So then how do you know she won't be back at school then?" Stiles asked, his brow furrowed. Scott scoffed.

"After everything that happened, I'm not sure she's coming back at all." The werewolf said.

"I think she is." Stiles said. "I'd say pretty definite, you know. Like 100%." Stiles continued and Sophia's brow furrowed. He motioned his head to the car next to them. Scott and Sophia looked over, it just so happened to be Lydia's car and Allison was sitting in the passenger seat. Sophia pursed her lips and nodded, pretty sure she was going to be back in school. Everything was fine until Scott and Allison saw each other. Scott slumped down in the seat.

"Oh my God!" He said as he tried to hide. Stiles waved at Lydia. "Can we just drive please, Stiles?" Scott asked, turning to the other boy.

"Scott, it's a red light." Stiles said, looking at the light. "I think we should talk to her."

"Are you serious?" Sophia asked, leaning between the seats to look at the boy in the driver's seat. He turned to her. "I just think we should say something."

"No. No, no, Stiles, come on." Scott pleaded with the boy as he leaned over Scott to roll the passenger side window down.

"Stiles, are you stupid?" Sophia asked from the backseat.

"Oh my God, dude, no!" Scott said to him.

"Hey!" Stiles said to them before Lydia stepped on the gas, running the light. "You know, they probably didn't see us." He said and Sophia reached up to smack him in the back of the head. He yelped and turned to glare at her. She raised an eyebrow before pointing to the road.

"Drive." She said before answering a text from Max. The light had flipped to green so Stiles pressed the accelerator, beginning to drive.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked him.

"I'm driving." Stiles said and it was pretty obvious.

"We're right behind them." The werewolf said.

"Okay, well, do you see any turns?" Stiles asked.

"I don't want it to look like we're following them."

"Well, what do you want me to do?"

"I don't know, anything." Stiles then proceeded to slam on the breaks, the tires squealing as his breaks locked up. As the Jeep came to a stop, Sophia glared at the two of them.

"You boys need to learn to be mature and to stop this shit." Both boys looked back at her. A few seconds later, Lydia's car stopped. The three of them looked at each other before looking back at the car. Moments later, the most bizarre thing happened, a deer ran right through the windshield of Lydia's car. In a matter of seconds, Scott, Stiles, and Sophia were getting out of the Jeep and running over to the car.

"Are you okay?" Scott called to Allison as they ran over. Stiles ran to Lydia while Sophia went to the front of the car to look at the deer.

"It came out of nowhere." Allison said to him.

"Are you hurt?" Stiles asked Lydia.

"It ran right into us." Lydia said to him. Scott asked Allison if she was okay. Allison said yes. "I'm not okay! I'm totally freaking out. How the hell does it just run into us?" She said to them.

"Scott…" Sophia called to him. He looked up and saw her with her hand on the deer. He walked over to her slowly.

"I saw its eyes right before it hit us." Lydia said, pausing to lick her lips. "It was like it… it was like it was crazy."

"It was scared." Sophia said, lifting Scott's hand up to place it right where she had just had her hand. "Actually terrified." She said and Scott nodded his head softly. They both turned to look down the road at where it came from. There was nothing obvious there but… Sophia was getting a bad feeling about everything.

**XXX**

First day of senior year. Sophia was up and dressed and ready to leave by 6:45, a new record for her. She was in a pair of maroon skinny jeans with a black wrap tunic top. She grabbed her leather jacket and slipped on a pair of black knee high boots. She left her hair down and straight before putting on some minimal make up. She went down stairs and her parents looked a little surprised to see her awake already.

"Well, this is a surprise." Her mom said and Sophia smiled.

"Just excited, I guess." She said, grabbing an apple.

"Uh-huh." Her mother said playfully. "And it would have nothing to do with a certain boyfriend." Sophia shook her head as she took a bite.

"Nope, nothing." Her mom chuckled and her dad rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm off." She said, pressing kisses to both of their cheeks before going out and getting in the Challenger. She backed out onto the main road and was off to school.

**XXX**

She pulled into the parking lot and got out, reaching back in to grab her bag. She stood up and locked the doors before a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and a kiss placed on the hinge of her jaw. "Hey." She said with a smile, turning in his arms.

"Hey." Max said, placing a surprising soft kiss on her lips. He pulled away and kissed her with a little more force, pushing her back gently into the Challenger. She chuckled into the kiss before pulling away. He smiled and pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Come on, let's head inside." She nodded, lacing their fingers together before they began walking towards the school.

**XXX**

Sophia was pretty happy with her schedule, 4 classes and 3 of them were with Max, which included homeroom math. She was sitting behind him, taking notes when the principle came into the room. He whispered something to the teacher before turning and leaving the class. "Ms. Markus?" The teacher asked. The girl looked up from her notes, her pen in mid-stroke. He motioned for her to come to the front so she packed up her stuff, leaning over to whisper to Max.

"Can I borrow your notes?" He nodded, giving her a smile. She smiled back before she walked into the hall after the teacher. He told her that the school was called by Melissa McCall and that they needed her to come to the hospital right away. She put her bag on her shoulder, getting ready to walk away when he teacher spoke.

"I know this is an emergency but I want to give you the nicest warning I can. I know you're a smart girl, an A student but I do know that you missed many days last year and I also know that math is your weakest class. This is going to be a difficult class and you will fail if you're not here enough to get the material." She nodded her head. "I just want to make sure that you will graduate. You're a senior this year with only four classes. Not many of the kids here can say that." She gave him a small smile.

"I know and I promise, I'm going to be here and I'm going to pass this class." She said with a smile before walking down the hall. She got to the parking lot at the same time as Scott. "Your mom called you too?" She asked and he nodded.

"I wonder what it's about." She shrugged, getting into the challenger before following Scott to the hospital.

**XXX**

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Scott asked as the three of them (himself, Sophia, and his mother) walked into the hospital wing where Isaac was being kept.

"Honestly, I was hoping I didn't have to." She answered.

"What do you mean?" Scott asked.

"Everything that you've been doing, the extra reading, the summer school, saving up for the bike, even though it scares me half to death… Honey, I just didn't wanna disrupt a good rhythm." She explained and Scott put a hand on her arm to stop her. Sophia stepped a few feet away.

"It's not gonna stop. I'm gonna be better this year. A better student, a better son, a better friend, a better everything." He said to her and Sophia smiled. "I promise."

"Okay." He mom said softly. "He's in room 215 if he isn't already in surgery."

"Thank you." Both teens said, Scott placing a kiss on his mother's cheek as they left to go to Isaac's room. They got into the elevator and the doors were just about closed when something caused them to open again. Scott put his hand on the doors and they saw a blind man on the other side. He stepped onto the elevator and Sophia moved over behind Scott.

"Would you hit the button for the second floor, please?" He asked kindly with a British accent. Scott had already hit the 2 button but answered the man and pressed it again. "Thank you." He said and Scott nodded. The ride in the elevator was long and silent. When they stopped on the second floor, the doors opened and Scott stepped out of the elevator. Sophia was about to follow when the man's walking stick tapped her shin. "You wouldn't mind helping me out for a second, would you?" He asked her and she glanced at Scott.

"Uh, sure." She said as the man's hand slipped onto her shoulder. She stepped out into the hall and Scott let his head drop. She motioned for him to go on. He asked if she was sure by mouthing it to her and she nodded. He began walking away; she would be able to find him later. She had led the man to where he'd needed to be.

"Thank you very much." He said and she smiled.

"You're welcome." She said before walking away and once she was around the corner, she scented the air and sprinted after Scott. She found him just as he came to Isaac's room. "Hey." She said and he nodded.

"Have you seen him?" He asked and she shook her head.

"Not yet. They took him to surgery." She said as they walked down the hall. Scott stopped when he watched a male nurse roll someone in a wheel chair into the elevator. When he looked over his shoulder at them, Sophia scented the air and immediately knew it was an Alpha. She and Scott both extended their claws and fangs, growling at him. The man smirked, dropping his own claws. The pair barely made it into the elevator before the doors closed. All three of them went into Beta form but even with two Betas, they were no match for an Alpha. He easily threw the two of them around like ragdolls. He grabbed Scott by the neck and held him up in the air. Sophia growled before she attacked the Alpha, only to have him grab her neck and hold her up as well.

"Don't you realize what you're dealing with?" He asked them. "I'm an Alpha." The elevator dinged, someone stepped in before the Alpha dropped the two of them.

"So am I." Derek said before throwing the Alpha out of the door. The elevator closed again before Derek turned to look at the two Betas, unimpressed. Scott was sitting up, leaning back against the wall of the elevator while Sophia was lying flat on her back, panting. "Aren't you two supposed to be in school?" He asked. Scott finally relaxed but Sophia flipped him the bird without even lifting her head.

**XXX**

Sophia opened the door to allow Derek to carry Isaac inside. Scott was on the phone with Stiles. "Hey, can you tell me and Sophie about it later?" Scott asked, he paused for a moment as he listened to Stiles. "Alright then, meet me at Derek's." Stiles must've said something. "Just meet us here, okay?" He said before hanging up and coming in the room with the other three werewolves.

"You don't still live here, do you?" Sophia asked, running her fingers through Isaac's hair. Derek had kneeled down, looking through some pieces of wood and floor for something. He glanced over at her before going back to what he was doing.

"No." He answered. "The county took it over but there's something here that I need. It'll help heal a wound from an Alpha."

"Yeah but it did heal." Scott said, looking over at Isaac.

"Not on the inside." Derek said after a pause to look at Isaac and Sophia.

"Hey, are you gonna tell me who that as back there?" Scott asked the question that was also buzzing around Sophia's mind. "That Alpha."

"A rival pack." Derek answered. "It's my problem." Sophia's brow furrowed as she looked at Derek. Was he part of the Alpha pack? Why didn't Scott know? Derek looked at her and shook his head the slightest bit and she rolled her eyes before going back to petting Isaac's hair. "I know you want to help and you did. I owe you one. Now go home. Go back to being a teenager." Derek placed the plant on the table by Isaac's head. Scott and Sophia were about the leave when the boy turned back to the Alpha.

"Hey Derek." Scott said, gaining his attention again.

"If you wanna repay back that favor now, there is something you can do for me." Scott said, rubbing his arm where his tattoo had been. Derek and Scott sat down Stiles had gotten there, Sophia stood beside them. Scott took off his jacket and shirt, leaving him in a wife beater tank top. Derek turned his eyes Alpha red and Sophia couldn't help the shiver of arousal that went through her. No, bad Sophia. You're with Max. Derek doesn't mean anything. She sighed as told herself this.

"Yeah, I see it. It's two bands, right?" Derek asked, his eyes fading back to their usual hazel. "What does it mean?"

"I don't know." Scott answered. "It's just something I traced with my fingers." Scott said, tracing the same symbol in the dust on the table beside him.

"Why is this so important to you?" The Alpha asked. Stiles and Sophia waited patiently.

"Do you know what the word 'tattoo' means?" Scott asked.

"To mark something." Stiles answered for Derek with a proud and smug smile. Derek looked over at him and Sophia shook her head.

"Well, that's in Tahitian. In Samoan, it means 'open wound.' I knew I wanted to get a tattoo when I turned 18. I always wanted one. I just decided to get it now, to make it kind of a reward." Scott continued on.

"For what?" Derek asked softly.

"For not calling or texting Allison all summer." Derek and Sophia nodded softly. "Even when I really wanted to, even when it was so hard not to sometimes. I was trying to give her the space she wants. Going four months later, it still hurts. It still feels like a…"

"Like an open wound." Stiles filled in and Scott nodded his head, looking down at the ground. Derek reached beside him and grabbed something Sophia couldn't see.

"The pain's gonna be worse than anything you've ever felt." Derek said.

"Oh, that's great." Stiles said.

"Do it." Scott said while nodding his head. Derek lit a blow torch. A fucking blow torch!

"Oh, wow." Stiles said. "That's a lot for me. So, I'm gonna take that as my cue. I'm just gonna wait outside." The boy tried to leave but Derek caught him with a hand on his chest.

"Nope." The Alpha said. "You can help Sophia hold him down." He pushed the boy back behind him, watching as he came over to Scott and stood by his right shoulder. Sophia held the left, since that was the one Derek was going to be putting the fire to. Scott nodded. Derek looked between the three teenagers before getting a little closer.

"Oh my God." Stiles said. Sophia held his arm strong as Derek placed the fire to it. Scott began screaming and struggling.

"Hold him." Derek said and Sophia felt a set of claws dig into her thigh. She glanced at his face, his eyes had shifted and his fangs were out. Luckily (for all parties involved), Scott passed out, allowing Derek to work without a writhing body. A minute or so later, Scott gasped awake, looking down at his arm before looking at the three other people in the room.

"It worked." He said excitedly. Scott got up and put on his long sleeve shirt that he was wearing, leaving his left sleeve up so he could look at the tattoo one more time.

"Well, it looks pretty damn permanent now." Stiles said, looking at Scott's arm.

"Yeah." Scott said, rubbing his hand over the skin. "I kind of needed something permanent. Everything that's happened to us, everything just changes so fast. Everything's so… ephemeral." Sophia tilted her head at the word.

"Studying for the PSATs?" Stiles asked.

"Yep." Scott answered.

"Nice." Stiles said and Scott opened the door but stopped to look at it. Sophia bit her lip.

"You painted the door." Scott called to the Alpha. Derek looked up at them and Scott looked at him. "Why'd you paint the door?"

"Go home, Scott." Derek said.

"And why only one side?" He asked again. Scott popped his claws out and took one finger, scratching down the door.

"Scott." Derek said, leaving Isaac's side to walk towards the door. Scott began taking both hands and scraping the paint away. Derek came to stand next to Sophia and Stiles, just watching. Derek crossed his arms and lowered his head. The Alpha symbol was revealed.

"The birds at school and the deer last night, just like the night I got trampled by the deer when I got bit by the Alpha." Scott said, piecing it together. Derek watched Scott silently. "How many are there?" He asked and Derek sighed.

"A pack of them. An Alpha pack." He answered.

"All of them? How does that even work?" Stiles asked.

"I hear there's some kind of a leader. He's called Deucalion. We know they have Boyd and Erica. Peter, Isaac, Sophia, and I have been looking for them for the last four months." Derek said. Scott watched the Alpha for a moment before stepping up to him.

"Let's say you find them. How do you deal with an Alpha pack?" Scott asked.

"With all the help I can get." Derek answered. Scott and Stiles looked at each other before both of them looked at Sophia. She shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"Where is she?" Isaac asked, causing them all to turn to him. "Where's the girl?"

"What girl?" Derek asked and Isaac set on explaining who she was.


	25. Chaos Rising

**A/N: Another chapter! I know you guys are wanting Derek and Sophia to get together soon and they will! I promise! Just hang in a little longer! Sorry this one took so long! As you guys can tell, this is a really long chapter! Please fave, follow, and review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

"Derek, Max wants to take me on a moonlit walk of the Preserve." She said to the Alpha over the phone.

'_And you're telling me this because…'_ The Alpha asked the beta rolled her eyes.

"So you know in case I need you. You know, there is an Alpha pack running around." She said and she could hear Derek sigh.

'_I'm still not sure why you're telling me… You have Max with you.' _He said and she could hear something different in his voice.

"Are you… Are you jealous Derek?"She asked, a small smirk on her face. The man scoffed.

"_Jealous? Of him? I don't think so. Why would I be jealous of him?" _He said quickly and maybe a little too forced.

"Because, maybe… just maybe… you don't dislike me as much as you say you do." She said, shifting her weight onto the other foot and putting her free hand on her hip.

'_I don't know what the hell you're talking about…'_ She could hear the growl in his voice. She smirked again but before she could say anything, the Alpha continued. _'Howl if you have any trouble.' _She said before he hung up the phone. She rolled her eyes before looking down at the phone. Maybe those feelings she has for Derek weren't so misplaced after all…

**XXX**

They walked down the path, holding hands. It wasn't a full moon, more of a three-quarters moon, which provided enough light that they didn't need a flashlight. The walk was silent for a little while before Max spoke. "I really like you Sophia." She smirked.

"I know." He turned to her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk of his own.

"You know?" He asked and she nodded her head. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. She laughed softly and wrapped her arms around his neck as he pressed a kiss to her lips. She had noticed how far they walked, it was pretty far from the cars and it was a school day tomorrow.

"Hey, we need to head back, we have school tomorrow." She said, leaning her forehead against his jaw.

"Just one more thing." He said, pulling away from her.

"What?" She asked playfully. He smiled.

"Close your eyes." She didn't hesitate; he'd never given her a reason not to trust him. She felt the back of one of his fingers running down the side of her face before she felt something off around the hinge of her jaw. It felt like the back of a claw. She peeked his eyes open and jumped in shock. Max's once brown eyes were now red… Alpha red. He clicked his tongue, grabbing her around the neck. "You should have kept your eyes closed. It would have made this so much easier." She glanced behind her when she heard someone. A tanned woman came around a tree; she had long black hair with her own pair of Alpha eyes. She was barefoot, Sophia noticed, with large claws on each toe.

"Finally, I thought you would never bring one of them." She said, walking closer to them.

"Sorry Kali. She was so much fun to play with I decided to take my time besides, she never would have followed me if she didn't trust me." He said with a smirk, tightening her grip around Sophia's neck. She couldn't howl and she knew for sure she couldn't reach her phone.

"Yeah well, that's great but when it comes to eliminating your enemies, you need to do it fast. Learn how to be an Alpha." The woman, Kali, growled at him and he rolled his eyes. She was right; he was a young Alpha, maybe just now getting the hang of his Alpha abilities. Sophia tried to take in a deep breath as she threw her leg up, catching Max in the chin, causing him to let her go. She turned and kicked out at Kali, hitting her in the head as well. She turned and began running back to the cars, she was about to howl when she was tackled from behind. She rolled onto her back and saw Max above her.

"It's too bad. We could have been so good together." He raised his claws into the air and Sophia bucked her hips hard, knocking him off balance. She extended her own claws and slashed him across the chest before rolling him off of her. She ran again, only to be stopped by Kali trying to kick her in the head. The claws on her feet were bad news. Sophia ducked a couple of times before Kali managed to slash her across her stomach. Sophia held her stomach as turn to go in the opposite direction. Max grabbed her from behind by her hair and Sophia elbows him in the face and when he didn't let go, she turned quickly and slashed wherever she could, it just happened to be his throat. Max let her go, gagging as he held his throat. Sophia and Kali watched as the boy stumbled, glaring right at her. Sophia glanced at the woman before turning and running to the cars.

She then realized just how far Max had taken her out away from the road. She got into the Challenger quickly and locking the doors behind her. She put the keys in the ignition before peeling out onto the main road and making her way home. When she pulled into the driveway, it was almost two in the morning. She had driven around for a while, giving her wounds a little more time to heal. She cut off the car and looked down at her wounds, they were almost completely healed but they were healing slowly. She sighed as she got out of the car and decided to climb up to her window. It was quick and graceless but she made it. She peeled out of her clothes and took a warm shower, watching the water run pink with the blood leaving her skin. She should have known that Max was too good to be true, she'd never had a boyfriend before and Max was seemingly perfect, of course she'd fallen for him quickly. She turned off the water and wrapped herself up in one of her fluffy, dark towels so it didn't leave a blood stain.

She changed into her pajamas before climbing into bed and going to sleep. Her sleep was dreamless and she woke up around five in the morning when her phone went off.

_**From Big Bad (4:58 am)**_

_**We all need to talk. Come when you get the chance if you wanna miss school. It's important.**_

Sophia rolled out of bed and checked her wounds; they had all healed overnight, which was a good thing. She walked over to the mirror and looked at her reflection. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes before reopening them.

**XXX**

Sophia was sitting on the table beside Derek as he read a book. Isaac was pacing by the windows… or the wall of windows. "You know, I'm starting not to like this idea. It sounds kind of dangerous. You know what, I definitely don't like this idea, and I definitely don't like him."

"You'll be fine." Derek said, glancing up from his book.

"Does it have to be him?" Isaac asked the Alpha.

"He knows how to do it, Sophia and I don't. Be more dangerous if either of us tried doing it ourselves." Derek said to the beta.

"You know Scott doesn't trust him, right?" Isaac said to Derek as he picked up a book of his own, turning it in his hands. "You know personally, I'd… I'd trust Scott."

"Do you trust me?" Derek asked, looking at the boy.

"Yeah." Isaac said after a moment's pause. Derek turned back to his book. "I still don't like him."

"Nobody likes him." Derek said and Sophia snorted. The door to the loft slid open nosily, causing all three werewolves to look up.

"Boys and girl." Peter said before walking deeper into the loft. "FYI, yes, coming back from the dead has left my abilities somewhat impaired, but the hearing still works. So I hope you're comfortable saying whatever it is you're feeling straight to my face." Peter had a smirk on his face.

"We don't like you." Derek said, throwing the book down on the table beside Sophia. He stood up. "Now shut up and help us." Peter looked from Derek to Sophia and Isaac.

"Fair enough." He extended his claws. Sophia jumped down from the table and moved the chair Derek was sitting in to the middle of the room. Isaac sat down and waited for Peter. Derek sat down on the coffee table right off to the side and Sophia sat down beside him. "Relax. I'll get more out of you if you're calm." Peter said to Isaac as he walked around him. Derek and Sophia watched silently.

"How do you know how to do this, again?" Isaac asked.

"It's an ancient ritual used mostly by Alphas, since it's a skill that requires quite a bit of practice." Peter answered, making little measurements with his hands. Isaac looked over at his Alpha and pack mate before looking back at the loft door directly in front of him. "One slip and you could paralyze someone or kill them."

"But you've had a lot of practice, though, right?" Isaac asked the older man, turning to look at him.

"Well, I've never paralyzed anyone." Peter said, smiling down at the beta. Derek brow furrowed as he glanced at Sophia before looking back at the pair.

"Wait, does that mean that you…" Before Isaac could finish, Peter drove his claws into the back of his neck. Isaac grunted and grabbed both of Peter's wrists in his hands while Peter through his free arm over Isaac's chest to keep him in the chair. Derek raised his head, watching them closely. Peter threw his head back, grunting before he looked forward again. Isaac shifted hard in the chair, throwing his legs out and trying to shift to the side but Peter held him tight. Derek jumped up but Sophia grabbed his arm, holding him beside her.

"Wait, I see them." Peter said, his eyes unfocused as he looked around the room. Peter let Isaac go, the beta leaning forward in the chair panting while Peter threw himself back into the table behind him. Peter glanced back at the beta before walking off to the side.

"What'd you see?" Derek asked his uncle while Sophia slipped by him to check on Isaac.

"It was confusing." Peter said, still panting slightly. "Um, images. Vague shapes." Peter was stumbling all over his words, his hands clenching and unclenching.

"But you saw something." Derek didn't phrase it like a question.

"Isaac found them." Peter said.

"Erica and Boyd?" Sophia asked, looking at the older man.

"I barely saw them. I mean, glimpses." Peter said again.

"But you did see them." Derek said again.

"And worse." The former Alpha said quietly.

"Deucalion." Derek knew exactly. Peter looked from his nephew to Isaac. Derek sat back down on the coffee table.

"He was talking to them. Something about time running out." Peter said.

"What does it mean?" Isaac asked.

"He's gonna kill them." Derek said, rubbing his hands together.

"No, no, no, no, he didn't say that." Peter said quickly. "He did make them a promise that by the full moon that they'd both be dead."

"The next full moon?" Derek asked. Sophia looked at Peter before looking at Derek.

"Tomorrow night." She said with one hand on Isaac's arm to take the pain.

**XXX**

"I don't see anything." Derek said while looking at the bruises on Allison's and Lydia's arms.

"Look again." Scott said, turning to the Alpha. Sophia glanced at Stiles, who was sitting on the desk next to the one she was sitting on.

"How is a bruise going to tell me where Boyd and Erica are?" Derek asked everyone in general.

"It's the same on both sides." Scott told him. "Exactly the same."

"It's nothing." Derek said in a monotone voice.

"Pareidolia. Seeing patterns that aren't there." Lydia said and Sophia noticed that Derek and Allison were having an all-out staring contest. "It's a subset of apophenia."

"They're trying to help." Scott said to Derek.

"These two?" He asked. "This one, who used me to resurrect my psychotic uncle. Thank you. And this one, who shot about 30 arrows into me and my pack."

"Okay, alright, now come on." Stiles said from where he and Sophia were sitting. "No one died, alright? Look, there may have been a little maiming, okay, a little mangling but no death. That's what I call an important distinction." Derek turned to Stiles.

"My mother died." Allison said quietly.

"Your family's little honor code killed your mother. Not me." The Alpha said back.

"That girl was looking for Scott. I'm here to help him, not you." Allison said.

"I do recall your dad saying the same thing." Sophia said as she slid off of the desk and walking to stand between Derek and Scott.

"You wanna help? Find something real." The Alpha said before turning to leave. Scott followed him. They had a quick conversation before he left. Sophia stayed since they were at school anyway. She didn't need her bag since all of her books were in her locker anyway.

**XXX**

"Okay, what would a pack of Alphas want with Erica and Boyd?" Stiles asked as they walked.

"I'm not sure it's them they want." Sophia said as they continued to walk.

"Okay, what, like Derek? Like they're recruiting?" Stiles asked the girl before she caught a scent. Scott must've caught it too before he turned to watch as the two new twins walked by them. "Hey guys, you coming?" Sophia nodded, grabbing Scott's jacket as she went to her next class.

**XXX**

_**From Scotty (1:35 pm)**_

_**Come to Deaton's after school. Going to try and help Isaac remember.**_

A few hours later and Sophia, Derek, Scott, and Stiles all poured bags of ice into a bath. "How slow does his heartrate need to be?" Scott asked. Sophia glanced at the vet before touching the water with her finger. She pulled it back quickly and put it in her pocket to warm it up. She was a wuss when it came to the cold.

"Very slow." Deaton answered.

"Okay, well, how slow is very slow?" Derek asked, bending at the waist to leaning against the metal tub.

"Nearly dead." Deaton said and all of the werewolves looked up at him. Isaac touched the water and inhaled sharply.

"It's safe, though, right?" Isaac asked, looking up at the man.

"Do you want me to answer honestly?" Deaton countered with his own question.

"No. No, not really." Isaac said, deciding to leave well enough alone. Everyone turned when a rubber glove snapped. Stiles had one of the gloves on that comes all the way to your shoulder. They all watched him unamused.

"What?" He asked and both Derek and Sophia raised an eyebrow at him. He pulled the glove off quickly and threw it aside. Isaac stood up and took in a deep breath.

"Look, if it feels too risky, you don't have to do this." Derek said to his beta. Scott and Sophia nodded in agreement. They all wanted Isaac to be 100% sure about this. Isaac took off his shirt and set it aside. He stepped into the bath before sitting down. He gasped as he settled. Sophia was at his head, Scott on her right, and Derek on her left. Sophia rolled up the sleeves on her long sleeve, black and gray striped shirt. Both boys put a hand on Isaac's shoulder while Sophia leaned over and wrapped on lightly around his neck. They glanced at each other before they pushed him under the water.

**XXX**

Seconds later, he came up out of the water, pushing against the three other werewolves' strength. "Get him back under." Deaton said and the three pushed him back under, holding him while he struggled. Isaac came out of the water again, trying to get out. "Hold him!"

"We're trying!" Derek yelled to the vet before turning his attention back to the beta. They were able to push him down once more and slowly, he stopped struggling. Scott and Derek let him go while Sophia shifted her hand to the back of his neck, slowly bringing him to the surface so he could breathe. He inhaled right away. Deaton shushed everyone.

"Now, remember, only I talk to him." He said quietly. "Too many voices will confuse him and draw him out." Derek and Scott kept a light hand on both of Isaac's shoulders, making it so only his head out of the water, being held up by Sophia. "Isaac?" The vet called his name. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes." Isaac said. "I can hear you."

"This is Dr. Deaton. I'd like to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?" Deaton asked.

"Yes." Isaac answered.

"I want to ask you about the night you found Erica and Boyd." Slowly, Derek and Scott let go of him but Sophia kept her hand under Isaac's head. "I want you to remember it for me in as vivid detail as possible, like you're actually there again."

"I don't wanna do that. I don't wanna do that." Isaac repeated, getting a little restless.

"Isaac, it's alright. Just relax." Derek and Scott had to grab Isaac's shoulders again while Sophia gripped the back of his neck harder and placed her other one on the middle of his chest. "They're just memories. You can't be hurt my memories." As all of this is going on, there was thunder outside and the power in the clinic was flickering.

"I don't wanna do that." The beta said again.

"It's alright." Deaton said to him.

"I don't wanna do that."

"Relax." Deaton said to him and Isaac grunted. "Relax." Slowly, Isaac began to calm down and settle again. "Good." Scott and Derek removed their hands and Sophia removed the one. "Now, let's go back to that night. To the place you found Erica and Boyd. Can you tell me what you see? Is there some kind of building? A house?"

"It's not a house. It's a stone." Isaac said, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I think marble."

"That's perfect. Can you give me any other descriptors?"

"It's dusty, so empty."

"Like an abandoned building?" Isaac didn't answer and there was another clap of thunder before the power began to flicker again. "Isaac?"

"Someone's here." He said, grabbing Scott's arm. "Someone's here."

"Isaac, relax."

"No, no, no, no. They see me, they see me!" Isaac began to struggle again. Scott and Derek hold him down again. He screams.

"Just memories. You won't be hurt by your memories. Just relax." Deaton said in a calm, soothing voice. Isaac calmed down again, releasing Scott's wrist. "Good. Now tell us what you see. Tell us everything."

"I hear him. He's talking about the full moon." Isaac said as he opened his eyes. "About being out of control when the moon rises."

"Is he talking to Erica?" Deaton asked.

"I think so, I can't… I can't see her. I can't see either of them."

"Can you hear anything else?" Sophia glanced at the other werewolves. They looked up at her before looking down at Isaac.

"They're worried… worried about what they'll do during the full moon. They're worried that they're going to hurt each other." Derek shook his head.

"If they're locked in together on the full moon, they're going to tear each other apart." Derek said quietly. Scott and Sophia nodded.

"Isaac, we need to find them right now." Deaton said to the blonde beta. "Can you see them?" Isaac tilted his head on Sophia's hand.

"No."

"Do you know what kind of room it is? Is there any kind of marker? A number on a door? A sign?" Isaac suddenly sat up gasping. Sophia jumped back, not expecting it. Derek grabbed the beta.

"They're here." He whispers. He repeats it a few times.

"It's alright. Just tell us…" Isaac began to panic and Sophia walked over to him, dipping her hand back into the water behind Isaac's head, giving him a firm squeeze on the back of his neck.

"This isn't working. Isaac, where are you?" Derek said to Deaton and then to the Beta.

"I can't see them. It's too dark!" Isaac said to him.

"Tell me where you are." Derek said.

"I can't see!" Isaac says back.

"You're going to confuse him." Deaton said to the Alpha.

"Isaac, where are you?" Derek repeats to the beta, ignoring the vet. "Just tell me where you are."

"His heart rate… he could go into shock." Deaton said to Derek.

"Derek, let him go!" Scott yelled to the Alpha. Sophia let Isaac go.

"Derek, enough!" She said to him.

"Isaac, where are you? What did you see?" Derek yells to the beta.

"A vault! It's a bank vault!" Isaac yells. "I saw it! I saw the name!" Isaac yells as he sits up, fully awake from the whole ordeal. He got out of the ice water and was wrapped in a towel by Deaton. Sophia pushed Derek out of the way with a glare before leaning in close to the other beta, trying to share her body heat. "It's, uh, Beacon Hills First National Bank. It's an abandoned bank and they're keeping them locked inside the vault." Everyone fell silent. "What?"

"You don't remember what you said right before you came out of it, do you?" Stiles said to him. Isaac shook his head, getting water droplets on Sophia.

"No." He said.

"You said that when they captured you that they dragged you into a room and that there was a body in it." Stiles told him.

"What body?" Isaac asked, looking at Deaton.

"Erica." He said and Sophia leaned heavier into the cold, wet beta. She and the blonde she-wolf had never gotten close after Erica received the bite but she was still her friend before all of that. "You said it was Erica."

**XXX**

"She's not dead." Derek denied as he paced.

"Derek, he said, 'There's a dead body. It's Erica.' Doesn't exactly leave us much room for interpretation." Stiles said back to the Alpha.

"Then who was in the vault with Boyd?" He asked and Sophia shrugged.

"Obviously someone else." The she-wolf said.

"Maybe it as the girl on the motorcycle. The one who saved you?" Scott asked Isaac.

"No, she wasn't like us." Isaac said, shaking his head. "And whoever was in the vault with Boyd was."

"What if that's how Erica died?" Stiles asked and Sophia looked over at him. "They pit them against each other during the full moons and see which one survives. It's like werewolf thunderdome."

"Then we get them out tonight." Derek said.

"Be smart about this Derek." Deaton said. "You can't just go storming in."

"If Isaac got in, then so can we." Derek answered.

"But he didn't get in through a vault door." Sophia said and Deaton nodded his head.

"We need a plan." Scott said.

"How are we going to make a plan to break into a bank vault in less than 24 hours?" Derek asked Scott and Sophia.

"Uh, I think someone else already did." Stiles said, gaining their attention. "'Beacon Hills First National closes its doors three months after vault robbery.' Doesn't say here how it was robbed, but it probably won't take long to find out."

"How long?" Derek asked the boy.

"It's the Internet, Derek." Stiles said before scoffing. The Alpha raised his eyebrows at him. "Okay, minutes."

**XXX**

Sophia, Scott, and Stiles went back to Stiles' house to figure out the bank vault problem and somewhere down the line, they all fell asleep, Stiles was on the floor, Scott in his computer chair, and Sophia on his bed. Someone yelled and it caused all three of them to jump awake. "I got to get to work. You three need to get to school." The Sheriff said.

"Dad!" Stiles called after him. "Heather?" He asked.

"Nothing yet." He said before turning to walk back down the stairs.

"Ten hours and nothing." Stiles said, standing up.

"We're gonna find something." Scott said, hoping he sounded in encouraging.

"Finding something doesn't make Erica any less dead or Boyd any less about-to-be-dead." Stiles said, picking up the papers around the room.

"We still have some time." Scott said over Sophia groaning while she stretched.

"Is this whole 'remain optimistic in the face of complete and utter disaster' thing a part of the 'be a better Scott McCall' program?" Stiles asked.

"Not if it doesn't work." Scott said. Stiles sighs.

"No, it works." Stiles dropped all of the papers but one, handing it to Scott as he ran after his dad.

**XXX**

"Okay, you see this? This is how they got in. It's a rooftop air conditioning vent." Stiles said, spreading out the blueprints for the bank. "Leads down inside into the wall of the vault, which is here. One of the robbers was lowered into this shaft. Now, that space is so small it took him 12 hours to drill into that wall, which is stone, by the way. Then throughout the rest of the night, they siphoned the cash up to the guys back on the roof through that one little shaft in the wall. Boom." Stiles explained and Sophia had to admit. It was a pretty impressive plan.

"Can we fit in there?" Scott asked.

"Yes, we can but very, very barely. Sophia would have more luck than we would." The redhead looked up from the blueprints and nodded. "They also patched the wall, obviously, so we're gonna need a drill of some kind."

"Forget the drill." Derek said and Stiles stopped talking to turn to the Alpha.

"Sorry?" He asked.

"If I go in first how much space do I have?" Derek asked and Sophia looked him over.

"Not much." He rolled his eyes at her before turning to Stiles.

"What do you think you're gonna do, Derek? You gonna punch through the wall?" Stiles asked as he and the Alpha turned to each other. Derek crossed his arms and sighed.

"Yes, Stiles, I'm gonna punch through the wall."

"Okay, big guy. Let's see it. Let's see that fist. Big, old fist. Make it, come on. Get it out there. Don't be scared." Derek made a fist and held it up. Sophia shook her head, rubbing her forehead before continuing to watch the slowly unfolding train wreck that is Stiles. "Big, bad wolf. Yeah, look at that." Sophia glanced at Peter, who was watching quietly from the stairs. "Okay, you see this? That's maybe three inches of room." Stiles said, holding Derek's wrist with his other hand acting as the wall. "Three inches of room to father enough force to punch through solid…" Derek punched Stiles hand without moving it back. It knocked the boy's hand to the table. "Aah!" Stiles cradled his hand to his chest. Sophia covered her mouth as not to laugh at her best friend. "He could do it."

"I'll get through the wall." He said and Sophia raised an eyebrow before pursing her lips not to laugh at the sad whimper that came from Stiles. "Who's following me down?" He glanced at Peter.

"Don't' look at me." The older wolf said. "I'm not up to fighting speed yet, and honestly, with Isaac out of commission, you're not looking at very good odds for yourself."

"So I'm supposed to just let them die?" The Alpha asked.

"One of them is already dead." Peter said.

"We don't know that." Derek repeated his earlier statement.

"Do I have to remind you what we're up against here?" Peter asked. Sophia watched as Stiles came back over. "A pack of Alphas. All of them killers. And if that's not enough to scare you testicles back into your stomach, try to remember that two of them combine bodies to form one giant Alpha." Sophia scoffed.

"Thanks for that visual Uncle Peter." She said, pushing her hair back over her shoulder.

"Which one?" Stiles asked as he rubbed his hand.

"The testicle one. Which we should all remember I'm severely lacking in." She said and there was a moment of silence. She smiled before looking back down at the blueprints.

"Anyway, I'm sure Erica and Boyd were sweet kids. They're gonna be missed." Peter finished.

"Can someone kill him again, please?" Stiles asked and Sophia nodded. Peter turned back to them and stared at Stiles for a moment.

"Derek, seriously, not worth the risk." The former Alpha said. Sophia sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"If you do down Derek, I'm going with you." She said and the Alpha was about to open his mouth and argue but Sophia shook her head. "Trust me on this one. You want me there." He nodded his head before turning to look at Scott and Stiles.

"What about you?" He asked.

"Yeah, if you want me to come…" Stiles answered.

"Not you." Derek said, closing his eyes.

"Scott." Stiles said, motioning over to the Beta.

"I don't know about Erica. But if Boyd's still alive, we have to do something." He looked back at Peter, who crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "We have to try."

"But?" Derek asked.

"Who's the other girl? The one locked in there with Boyd?" Scott asked.

**XXX**

Derek jumped up to the fire escape and Sophia bit her lip. Damn Derek! Everything she thought she was over the man he did something like that. With a sigh, she followed him. "Sophia!" Scott called after her.

"He needs somebody." She said to him before follow Derek to the roof. They'd easily found the shaft that Stiles had shown them on the blueprints. Derek went down first, showing the other two just how tight it was. Once they were down all the way, Derek _literally _punched through the wall. What was Derek's attractive level at before? Cause it was probably immeasurable at this moment.

"Boyd…" Derek calls one they were in the vault. Boyd stepped out of the shadows, growling. "It's me. It's Derek." The Alpha said. Sophia turned to Scott when she heard his phone buzzing.

"Stiles, now is not the best time." The beta said and Sophia trained her ears to what the other boy was saying.

'_Scott! Scott! No, listen to me, okay?' _Stiles yelled which caused Boyd to switch is attention to Scott._ 'Look, you gotta get out of there. Look the walls of the vault are made of a mineral called hecatolite. It scatters moonlight.'_

"And what does that mean?" Scott asked.

"We're here to get you out, okay?" Derek said to Boyd.

'_Look, it keeps the moonlight out, okay? They haven't felt a full moon in months.' _Stiles said.

'_Think of it like the gladiators in the Roman Coliseum. They used to starve the lions for three days, making them more vicious, more out of control. Deucalion has kept them from shifting for three full moons, diminishing their tolerance to it.' _Peter said, taking over for Stiles.

'_Scott, they're gonna be stronger…' _Stiles started again.

'_More savage, more bloodthirsty. Scott, they're the lions. They're the starved lions and you, Derek, and Sophia just stepped into the colosseum.' _Peter finished. Scott looked at Sophia and she reached out, grabbing Derek's arm.

"We got a problem. A really big problem." She said, once the Alpha turned to her. The other werewolf stepped out growling, causing the three of them to turn. Derek froze when he saw her.

"Cora?" He asked.

"Who?" Scott asked and Sophia blinked twice, making sure she wasn't seeing things. She hadn't seen Cora since she was a baby… since the fire…

"Cora?" Derek questioned again, sounding like he was going to cry.

"Derek, get out. Get out now." She said. The vault went silent except for Stiles' yelling over the phone. The door opened and a woman was standing there. She knelt down and poured something on the ground. Immediately Sophia noticed it was Mountain Ash.

"No. No! Wait!" Scott yelled to her right before Boyd and Cora let themselves shift into beta form, feeling the effects of their first full moon in months. Immediately, both betas came at the three other werewolves. Scott, Derek, and Sophia struggled to keep the other two werewolves under control. The three of them ended up back to back against a wall.

"You know her?" Scott asked the Alpha at his side.

"She's my sister, my younger sister." Derek answered, looking between the young beta and his sister.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Scott asked again.

"Like I have a clue. I thought she was dead!" Derek said back to him.

"Look out!" Someone yelled and Sophia and Derek dodged to the side just in time to avoid Boyd. He threw Scott around. Sophia turned when she heard something behind her, only to be scratched across the face by Cora. The redheaded beta growled as she avoided Cora's attacks. Derek came over as well but it didn't bother Cora, she just divided her attacks between the two of them. Derek held Cora off when some movement caught Sophia's attention. Allison was sitting on the base of the safe door, getting ready to break the Mountain Ash circle.

"Don't break the seal!" Sophia called to her, causing the brunette to look up at her and then Scott.

"Boyd!" She called before breaking the circle. Immediately, Boyd and Cora took off out of the vault and into the bank. Sophia was tackled down by Cora on her way out. The girl rolled over onto her stomach, her eyes flashing before she took off after them. She didn't know if Scott or Derek were going to try and keep up with them but she knew she had to do something. She wasn't going to let them run rampant all over town… she couldn't.


	26. Fireflies

**A/N: Another chapter! Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia sighed in frustration as she came to a stop. She had eventually lost the trail of the other two wolves. She jumped slightly when he cellphone rang. Pulling it from her pocket, she saw it was Scott. "Yeah?" She asked, putting it to her ear.

"_Hey, you're on a three-way with Derek." _He said and she nodded even though they couldn't see her._ "I lost their trail."_ He spoke again and this time, Sophia made a noise of agreement.

"Me too." She said, spinning around to look for any sign of them.

"_You lost them?"_ Derek asked, making it sound like it was totally their fault.

"_Yeah, I kind of had to."_ Scott said and Sophia sighed again.

"_Wasn't exactly the plan."_ Derek said.

"_I know, which is why I think that we should stick together." _Scott said to them. _"All of us."_ Sophia knew he was talking about her. _"Trust me, he's too strong, too fast, and way too angry for one person to handle. We got to do this together."_

"_Look, I'm at the trails by the entrance to the preserve. Can you meet me here?" _Derek asked.

"_Yeah."_ Scott answered. _"Just got to drop something off first."_

"I'll be right there. I don't think I'm too far from there." Sophia said, looking around and catching sight of one of the trails.

**XXX**

Sophia jumped off of the downed tree, sliding to a stop in the slightly wet earth. Derek was looking down at something just off to his left. "Is it them?" Scott asked from where he was in a crouch.

"We're not the only ones that decided to stick together." Derek said, turning and looking at the two younger wolves.

"Is that gonna make it easier or harder to catch them?" Scott asked.

"I don't know." Derek answered. It was silent.

"Guys…" Scott said, gaining the attention of the other two. "I saw Boyd try to rip two little kids apart. Are they gonna do that to everyone they find?"

"Everyone and anyone." Derek said as he walked by Scott. Sophia followed the Alpha, glancing at Scott as she followed him.

**XXX**

They found Cora and Isaac at a campsite in the middle of a fight when Scott kicked the she-wolf away from the downed Beta. Sophia and Derek approached from each side, both roaring at the she-wolf. She ran in the only direction she could, the only direction they left open. Derek, Sophia, and Isaac followed her while Scott checked on the human girl at the campsite. Somehow, someway, Cora had managed to shake the three wolves. Scott had eventually caught up to them when he got a phone call from Stiles. Apparently, someone at the pool had gotten their throat ripped out and it looked suspiciously like a werewolf.

"This doesn't make any sense." Derek said aloud. "The public pool is all the way on the other side of the woods. We haven't tracked them anywhere near there."

"Derek, they killed someone." Scott said to the Alpha.

"How are they moving so fast?" Derek asked aloud, not really looking for an answer for the other three.

"Derek." Scott said again.

"They can't be that fast on foot."

"They killed someone." Derek looked up at the Beta. "Some totally innocent kid is dead. And it's our fault."

"It's my fault." Derek said quietly. Sophia looked over at the Alpha, slowly and gently putting a hand on his bicep.

"We need help." Scott said.

"We have Lahey now." Sophia said, motioning to the curly haired beta.

"I mean real help." Scott said and Isaac turned to him, looking offended. Sophia bit her lip to hide her smile. "They're too fast for us, for all of us. They're too strong, too rabid."

"We'll catch them." Sophia said and Derek nodded his head from where he was looking at the ground.

"What happens if we do?" Isaac asked. "We're just gonna hold them down until the sun comes up?" Sophia glared at Isaac.

"Maybe we don't need you." Sophia mumbled, subconsciously rubbing Derek's arm.

"Maybe it would be easier just to kill them." Derek said without looking up and Sophia shook her head.

"We're not killing them." The she-wolf said, looking at each of the members of her pack.

"Killing them isn't the right thing to do." Scott said, agreeing with the Sophia in some way.

"What it it's the only thing to do?" Isaac asked. The other three wolves looked at him. "If we can't even catch them, what else do we do?"

"Find someone who knows what they're doing." Scott answers.

"Who?" Derek asked, tilting his head. The look on his face told Sophia he already had an idea of who Scott was going to ask.

"Someone who knows how to hunt werewolves." The younger Beta said and Sophia sighed, knowing exactly what was going to happen.

**XXX**

That was how Sophia ended up in the back seat of Derek's silver Toyota in the grocery store parking lot watching as Scott talked to Chris Argent. "Do you think this is going to work?" Isaac asked.

"Nope." Derek answered.

"No way." Sophia said at the same time.

"Me neither." Isaac said before the car falls silent again. "So your, uh… you sister." Isaac began and Derek turned to him with a look that Sophia interrupted as 'drop it'. She licked her lips and then pursed then to keep from smiling and laughing. "Sorry, yeah, it's…" The Beta clears his throat. "It's bad timing. I'm sorry." Isaac said and the Alpha turned back to watching Scott. "I'll ask later. It's fine." Isaac said and Derek tuned back to him, both eyebrows raised in a questioning manner. "Or never. Yeah, yeah, I'm good with never." Isaac answered and Derek began nodding. Sophia shook her head, resting back against the seat as the car quieted down. A few minutes later, Scott got into the passenger seat of Argent's car. He backed out and began following Scott's directions. Derek put the car in drive and followed after them.

**XXX**

Sophia stood off to Chris' side as he dropped a duffle bag on the ground. "You're tracking them by print?" Chris asked as he knelt down.

"Trying to." Scott answered.

"Well, then, you've been wasting your time." Chris said and Sophia raised an eyebrow. "There's only one creature on earth that can visually track footprints, and that's man. And if you're not trained like me, you have no idea that this print is Boyd's and these…"

"Are Cora's." Isaac said, pointing to the prints closest to him.

"Nope. They're yours." Chris said. "You trampled Cora's as soon as you walked over here." He continued and Sophia watched Isaac move around slightly while looking down, trying to see if he really did crush Cora's prints. He looked at the other three werewolves before looking back at the ground. "Listen, I know the four of you are focusing half your energy on resisting your own urges under the full moon, but that puts you at a severe disadvantage to Boyd and Cora, who have fully given in. They put the pedal to the floor while you four are barely hitting the speed limit."

"So what do we do?" Derek asked the former hunter.

"Focus on your sense of smell." Chris answered. "Actual wolves are known to track their prey by up to 100 miles a day by scent. A trained hunter can use scent to track them. If the wind is with them, wolves can track a scent by a distance of two miles, which means we can draw them to us or into a trap." The man explained and Sophia nodded softly at the information. He threw a net to Scott, who caught it with ease. "The full moon does give us one advantage. They'll have a higher heat signature, which makes them easier to spot with infrared." Chris threw the three remaining wolves a pair of infrared goggles.

"Thanks, but I've got my own." Derek said, letting his eyes flash red for a moment before they returned to normal. Sophia looked at the goggles in her hands before nodding softy.

"Just remember, we're not hunting wild animals. Underneath those impulses are two intelligent human beings. Don't think they can't rely on that human side. It's suppressed but it's there, reminding them how to mask their scent, how to cover their tracks, how to survive." Chris reminded them and the she-wolf nodded again. They walked up the small hill away from the cars. It allowed them to look over much of the forest as well as the town of Beacon Hills. "When was the last time you saw your sister?" Chris asked Derek.

"Nine years." The Alpha answered. "I thought she died in the fire."

"Do you feel like you have lock on her scent?" The ex-hunter asked again. Derek didn't verbally respond this time, simply shaking his head. Nine years is a long time and scents can change.

"Scott, Sophia, how confident are you in your skills?" He asked the two young wolves.

"Honestly, most of the time, I'm trying not to think about all of the things I can smell." Scott said to him.

"I'm pretty confident. I know Boyd's scent and I picked up on Cora's relatively easy." Sophia said, glancing at Chris. Derek watched the woman closely. Chris nodded his head.

"Alright. The problem is when they breach the woods and hit the residential area. Once they're past their high school, they're right in the middle of Beacon Hills." The man said, looking out over the lights of the city.

"They're not gonna kill everything they see, are they?" Isaac asked.

"No." Chris answered. "But there is an important difference to recognize. Wolves hunt for food. At a certain point, they get full. Boyd and Cora are hunting for the pleasure of the kill, for some primal apex predatory satisfaction that comes from the ripping of warm bodies to bloody shreds. And who knows when that need gets satiated?"

"Thanks for that visual…" Sophia muttered to herself as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked out at the city herself.

"We can't kill them." Scott tells the older man.

"What if we can't catch them?" Derek asked.

"Then maybe we just need to contain them." Chris said thoughtfully. "There's no one in the school at night, is there?"

"You want to trap them inside?" Derek asked.

"If there's somewhere with a strong enough door, no windows or access to the outside." Chris said, listing off all of the attributes the room would have to have to contain to uncontrollable werewolves.

"What about the boiler room?" Isaac asked and everyone else turned to him. "It's just one big steel door."

"You're sure the school's empty?" Chris asked again.

"It has to be. There can't be anyone there this late, right?" Scott said and Sophia nodded.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll go and check." Sophia said, looking at everyone. "You can keep driving them there but if someone's there I can call one of you and have you turn them around." The she-wolf looked at Chris, who nodded his head in response.

"Good idea." He said, turning to look at the she-wolf.

**XXX**

"These are ultrasonic emitters. It's one of the tools we use to corral werewolves, pushing them into a direction we want them to run." Chris explained from where he was kneeling, next to the stake he'd driven into the ground. He pushed the button on top and a high-pitched noise began. Sophia threw her hands over her ears to try and block out the noise. "It gives off a high-pitched frequency that only they can hear."

"No kidding!" Isaac said. "Turn it off! Turn it off!" Sophia glanced around her; all of the boys had their ears covered as well. Chris had a smirk on his face as he turned it off, allowing the three of them to uncover their ears and sigh in relief. Chris went back over to the briefcase that held even more of the things, handing two to each werewolf.

"These are going to drive them to the school?" Derek asked.

"And then it's up to you to get them into the basement." Chris said handing out more of the things.

"Does anyone want to rethink the plan where we just kill them?" Isaac asked as he tested the weight of one of the stakes in his hand.

"It's going to work." Scott said. Everyone looked at Scott silently. "It'll work." He repeated. Chris closed the back of the SUV.

"You all know what to do. Set the emitters up so that it drive them in the direction of the school." Chris said and the boys nodded. "Sophia…" She turned her attention to the man. "You go down to the school and make sure that no one is there." She nodded her head.

"Got it." She turned to run when a hand caught her arm. She turned and saw Derek. "I got it. It'll be fine." She said, putting her hand over the Alpha's on her arm.

"Just be careful, okay?" He asked softly and she nodded her head.

"I will." She said before gently pulling away from the man and running down the hill towards the lights of the town.

**XXX**

Sophia ran through the school, her heels clicking along the tiled floor as she checked through every floor in every room. There was no strong scent like if someone was there, there were no lights on, nothing indicated to Sophia that someone was there. She walked down the main hall just as Isaac and Scott opened the doors. "I got nothing." She said, walking towards them. "The school should be empty unless someone can hide their scent and heartbeat." Both boys nodded their heads before they turned and ran to where they were going where they were meeting Chris. Sophia stood next to Isaac.

"So… you think this is going to work?" He asked.

"We'll see." She said, pulling her hair back into a firmer ponytail. Just as she finished tying her hair back, there was growling behind them.

"Oh great." Isaac said before both wolves turned around. Boyd and Cora stood there, growling and barking. Isaac's eyes shifted as he crouched down, Sophia did the same, growling deep in her chest. Chris pulled up behind them, honking the horn on the SUV. It caused both betas to run but instead of going into the school as planned, they jumped over the doorway onto the roof.

**XXX**

Derek came out of the school, holding his arms out in a 'now-what' motion. "The rear doors, someone has to get them open." Chris said as he and Scott ran over to the Alpha, Sophia and Isaac not far behind. Derek turned and ran back into the school. Sophia followed him this time. It only took a few minutes before Cora and Boyd ran by them. Derek tackled Cora into the lockers and Sophia clotheslined Boyd. The bigger Beta hit the ground hard.

"Told you I was three times as fast." She smirked as she stepped away from the Beta. Derek threw Cora over to where Boyd was laying. Boyd was up quickly and coming at the pair before Chris ran over from one of the hallways, an electrical baton that she'd seen Kate use. It crackled with electricity before Scott jumped down the upper level. Both Betas were back up on their feet.

"Come and get us." Derek said before he, Scott, and Sophia took off down one of the hallways before opening the door that lead down to the boiler room. Sophia followed, almost falling on her face when she got towards the bottom. So much for the werewolf grace. Derek opened the door to the boiler room and the three of them ran inside, they could hear Boyd and Cora right behind them. The door closed, encasing all of the wolves in darkness. Through the darkness, Sophia could clearly make out where Cora and Boyd were, not only from their growls but because their gold eyes glowed in the dark. When they reached the bottom steps, Derek and Scott unleashed a couple of fire extinguishers on them. While they were distracted, the three of them ran back up the steps and out the door, locking it behind them. Derek held it shut while the Betas pounded on it for a few seconds before all went quiet.

"Did that actually just work?" Scott asked in surprise from where he was leaning on the wall. Sophia sighed, leaning back on the steps.

"It worked." Derek said, looking back at them. Sophia could hear the surprise in his voice as well. Derek moved away from the door into the wall, sliding down until he was sitting with his back leaning against it. Scott stepped closer to the door, pressing his ear against it. "What are you hearing?" Derek asked, he sounded exhausted.

"Heartbeats." Scott answered.

"Both of them?" Derek asked.

"Actually, three of them." Scott said, looking back at Derek. Sophia lifted her head from where it was resting on one of the steps behind her and her brow furrowed. Derek stood up and walked over to the door. Sophia stood and walked down the few steps to stand next to Scott.

"What are you doing?" Sophia asked him.

"Close the door behind me and keep it shut." Derek said without looking at either of the younger wolves.

"Okay, well, you go in there alone, and you're either going to kill them, or they're going to kill you." Sophia said, taking a step closer to the Alpha. He turned to look at her.

"That's why I'm going in alone." He said before turning back to the door.

"Der-" was all the she-wolf got out before he opened the door and ran inside. Before Sophia could follow, Scott had shut and locked the door again.

"Scott, open the door." She said, trying to push her friend out of the way.

"No, you heard Derek." He said and Sophia looked at him with a shocked expression.

"Since when do you listen to Derek? He's going to die down there and I can help." She said, moving to the door.

"Just trust him Sophia." Scott said and Sophia sighed before moving back to where she had been before. Scott jumped away from the door at the sounds of heavy thuds. Sophia watched the door carefully, ready to make a move if she had to.

**XXX**

"The sun's coming up!" Sophia heard Isaac yell. She was up in an instant, opening the door and running down. Scott right behind her, she knew that Isaac wouldn't be far. They ran to the bottom of the stiars, stopping when they reached the ground floor. Derek was kneeling on the ground, cut up and bloody, while Cora and Boyd lay on each side of him. Derek lifted his head, looking at the three of them while panting. The she-wolf could hear the heartbeats of both Betas strongly.

"There's a teacher." Derek said, telling Scott and Sophia who the third heartbeat belonged to. "I'll take care of her. Get them out of here." Derek said, vaguely motioning to the two betas at his sides. Scott and Isaac moved to grab the two of them. Sophia knelt down in front of Derek.

"You need to heal first." He shook his head softly, his hazel eyes looking into her emerald ones.

"No, I'm okay. Take care of Boyd and Cora." He said, glancing over her shoulder as Scott and Isaac carried them out.

"But…" She began.

"Go." Derek said softly and she watched him for a moment before nodding and getting up. She gently ran her fingertips over his cheek, taking a small bit of his pain before turning and following the two other Betas out of the boiler room.

**XXX**

Being down in the hospital's morgue gave Sophia the chills. Looking at the body of the boy Lydia found at the pool and the girl named Heather that Stiles had known since they were children was surreal. The girl watched as Stiles pulled the sheet back over Heather's head.

"So Boyd and Cora might not have killed anyone?" Scott asked the other boy.

"You're gonna wish they did." Stiles answered.

"Why?" Scott asked after glancing at Sophia.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure yet. The other girl who was out in the woods, Emily, eventually they're going to find her. She's one of them. Emily, Heather, the guy Lydia found at the pool, all three were virgins. And they're all going to have the same three injuries, strangled, throat slashed, head bashed in. It's called the threefold death." Stiles explained. Sophia licked her lips.

"So if these aren't just random killings, then what are they?" She asked Stiles. The boy pursed his lips slightly before answering.

"Sacrifices. Human sacrifices." He looked up at the two werewolves. Scott looked at Sophia before looking at the two bodies laying on the tables. Things just got a lot more complicated.


	27. Unleashed

**A/N: There's a bit of a shocker in this chapter so I hope you guys like it! Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review! I'm sorry for the long wait; things have been a little crazy here. I'm starting classes again next week so I'm going to try and make sure to update regularly! Thank you to everyone who waited! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia sighed as she got up and got dressed for cross-country. When had her life taken such a stressful turn? Sophia changed in the locker room, putting on a pair of black and crimson running shorts with a matching sports bra before putting on a black hoodie, leaving it unzipped for the time being. She tied her hair up in a ponytail before walking over to Scott and Stiles, leaning against the locker next to the beta.

"It's like he just walked away. Left his car, his dog." Sophia had been listening from her locker so she knew that Scott was talking about the guy that had went missing at the animal clinic last night while he was working.

"Okay. Was he, like… Could he have been a virgin maybe?" Stiles asked, shrugging on his own hoodie. "Did he look like a virgin? Was he, you know, virginal?" Sophia chuckled and shook her head.

"No, definitely not." Scott said, beginning to put on his own hoodie. "Deaton makes me have sex with all of his clients. It's a new policy." Sophia covered her mouth to keep from laughing to loudly. Stiles looked unimpressed but Scott chuckled. Eventually, the beta sighed when Stiles' expression didn't change. "No, I don't know if he was a virgin. And why are you talking like he's already dead? He's just missing."

"Missing and presumed dead because he's probably a virgin, Scott." Stiles answered. "And you know who else is a virgin? Me. I'm a virgin, okay? And you know what that means? It means that my lack of sexual experience is now literally a threat to my life. Okay, I need to have sex, like right now. Someone needs to have sex with me, like, today. Like, someone needs to sex me right now!" Stiles said, flailing before slamming his locker closed.

"Alright, I'll do it." Danny said, turning to the three of them. Stiles shouts as he turns around in surprise, Scott looks shocked, and Sophia once again has her mouth covered.

"What?" Stiles asked.

"Come to my place at 9:00. Plan to stay the night. I like to cuddle." Danny said. Stiles turned to Scott and Sophia before turning back to the other boy. Sophia uncovered her mouth and bit down on her nail, trying to school her expression.

"That was so sweet. Are you kidding?" Stiles asked.

"Yes, I'm kidding." He said before walking past the three of them, nudging Sophia on his way by.

"Okay, you know, you don't toy with a guy's emotions like that, Danny. It's not attractive, alright?" Stiles said as he walked away.

"I'll remind you all. Cross-country is not optional for lacrosse players. I don't need you turning into a bunch of fat-asses in the off-season. So work on that." Finstock said. Sophia looked up and saw the man looking at Danny, if the boy had an ounce of fat on him she would be surprised. "So work on that." He said before turning and going back to his office. Sophia looked down at her own stomach; it was flat with some traces of a six pack.

"Do I look like a fat-ass?" She asked her two best friends, their gazes slipped down to her stomach before they both immediately blushed and looked away.

"Nope." They said together and Sophia chuckled.

**XXX**

The whistle blew and everyone began running while the twins, Ethan and Aiden, were leading them all. "Pace yourselves! Come on!" Sophia was doing exactly what Finstock wanted, even as a werewolf; there was no reason to run herself out. Isaac blew past her, running full speed. She glanced back at Scott, who ran up beside her, slowing to match her pace.

"Isaac's going after the twins." He said and she nodded, both of them picking up the pace. They came around a corner and saw the twins holding Isaac down.

"Ethan, I always forget how many bones in the human body?" Aiden said to his brother.

"I don't know, let's count." Ethan said before Scott connected a hard punch to his jaw, Sophia doing the same to Aiden, causing the Alphas to release Isaac.

"That's one." Scott said as Sophia helped the curly-haired beta up before they all let their claws out, their eyes changing while growling. Before the fight could even begin, a girl screamed. Prompting all of the werewolves to go back to where the rest of the class was. When the three met back up with Stiles, there was a body hanging from a tree.

"It's him, isn't it?" Stiles asked. Scott didn't answer but Sophia knew the look on his face meant it was.

**XXX**

John showed up soon after that. It didn't make much convincing on anyone's part to get Sophia headed back to the trail so that she could go back to the school. Death has become something she really never wanted to see again. She could hear Isaac, Scott, and Stiles following behind her. "Did you see the way the twins looked at him?" Isaac asked.

"Yeah, you mean like they had no idea what happened?" Stiles answered with a question of his own.

"No, no, they knew." Isaac said.

"The kid was strangled with a garrote, alright?" Stiles said to him. "Am I the only one recognizing the lack of werewolfitude in these murders?"

"You think it's a coincidence they turn up, and then people start dying?"

"Well, no, but I still don't think it's them." Sophia stopped and turned back to the three. They all stopped in front of her.

"Scott? Sophia?" Isaac said and the two werewolves looked between their friends. "How about you?"

"I don't know yet." Scott said and Sophia shrugged her shoulders.

"You don't know yet?" Stiles asked.

"Well, he's got a point." Scott said, pointing to Isaac. Sophia's brow furrowed. "Seriously dude, human sacrifices?"

"Scott, your eyes turn into yellow glow sticks, okay? Hair literally grows from your cheeks, and then will immediately disappear, and if I were stab you right now, it would just magically heal, but you're telling me you're having trouble grasping human sacrifices?" Stiles said to their best friend. Sophia nodded, pointing to Stiles.

"That's a good point, too." She said and Scott nodded.

"I don't care, alright?" Isaac said. "They killed that kid. They killed the girl that saved me. And I'm gonna kill them, too." Isaac said before walking away. Sophia sighed, watching him go.

**XXX**

Sophia packed her bag and made her way to the parking lot. Her three classes were over and she had finally decided that she needed to talk to Derek. She'd been keeping a secret but he needed to know about it. She sent the three a text saying that she would be heading over to the loft. She started up the car and backed out of her space before pulling out onto the main road. It didn't take long before she had managed to get to the loft. She pulled into the spot beside Derek's silver Toyota before cutting the engine and getting out.

She left her bag in the car as well as her shoes. She made quick work of the steps on her way up before she came to the door, it was open (that was unusual) and she had caught three unfamiliar yet familiar scents. She quietly and gently leaned her back against the door and tilted her head so that she could listen. There was a moment of quiet before someone started talking.

"Sorry about this, Derek. I asked Kali to be gentle, but…" A voice with a British accent said.

"This is my being gentle." A woman said before there was a gasping sound, that sounded like Derek. The woman's voice sounded more familiar and it suddenly clicked to Sophia who it was, it was the Alpha that had attacked her a few weeks ago.

"Let her go." He panted out before someone was scurrying around. Cora, maybe?

"See? We're not unreasonable." The British voice said again. Sophia shuffled from foot to foot, trying to decide if she was going to go in or just turn around and leave. Unfortunately, the decision was made for her when a large hand wrapped around her throat and pulled her inside the loft. She struggled against the hand, even as it cut off her air supply until she was thrown down next to Derek. She coughed before turning to the larger Alpha, growling and letting her fangs drop. "Ah, Sophia." She turned her attention from the bigger man to the one sitting on the table in front of them. It was the man from the hospital, the one that she'd helped out of the elevator. The larger Alpha was the one that threw her and Scott around in the elevator and the female Alpha (Kali if Sophia remembered her name correctly) was standing over Derek with a pipe threw his body. "I was so hoping you would show up." She turned her attention back to the blind man.

"So you're Deucalion?" She asked letting her fangs return to normal. The man nodded his head. "Not much to look at." She growled out before the larger Alpha grabbed her by the back of the neck and forced her down on her stomach, standing over her, growling.

"No…" Derek groaned out. "No." He tried to say a little bit stronger.

"Let her go, Ennis. She just afraid. A lot has happened in these last few weeks hasn't it?" The larger Alpha stepped away and Sophia sat up, glaring at him before turning back to Deucalion.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.

"I mean, it's your senior year, you're now looking for colleges, apartments, and then there are all of these killings going on… oh, and Matthew went missing a few weeks ago." Sophia froze. He was a part of the Alpha pack; of course he would know that.

"What do you want? You want to kill me?" Derek asked, still panting from the pain. He was trying to draw Deucalion's attention from her. The blind Alpha turned his attention from the she-wolf to the injured Alpha beside her.

"You really think I'm that boring?" Deucalion asked. "Don't throw me in with sociopaths like your uncle. I'm a man with far more vision than simple murder. In fact, I'm here to show you just how much vision a blind man can have." The man took off his sunglasses and even though he was blind, he shifted his eyes to their Alpha red color. Kali shifted the pole and Derek began coughing, blood coming out of his mouth.

"You're killing him!" Cora yelled to the other she-wolf, who turned around and wagged her finger at the younger girl.

"Not yet, little sister. But I could." Kali said and Sophia growled at her. The woman looked down at the redhead and smirked. "Who knows if it's five minutes or five hours before it's too late to take this thing out? But just to be on the safe side, Duke, you might want to get to the point." She said, looking up at Deucalion.

"Now you see the one problem with being in an Alpha pack. Everybody wants to make the decisions. Me? I'm more about discovering new talents… like you." Deucalion said.

"Not interested." Derek said.

"What about you, Sophia?" The blind Alpha asked and the room froze. Derek wheezed slightly as he turned his head to the woman next to him. Cora watched her as well. Well… this wasn't how she wanted them to find out.

"What is he…" Derek coughs, "talking about?" She sighs and blinks before shifting her eyes and looking at the Alpha by her side. Her once gold beta eyes now shined a chilling shade of Alpha red.

"You never told them?" Deucalion said in what sounded like surprise. Her eyes faded back to emerald before she turned to the man, growling. "What do you say Sophia?" He asked with a smirk.

"Really not interested." She said firmly.

"But you haven't even heard my pitch." The blind man said.

"You want me to kill my own pack." Derek said and Sophia glanced down at him before looking back up at the other man.

"No. I want you to kill one of them." He said. "Do that and I won't have to ask you to kill the others. You'll do it on your own. I did it. Ennis did. Kali did. Tell them what it's like Kali, to kill one of your own." The she-wolf holding Derek down hummed.

"Liberating." She said, smiling.

"Listen to her." Deucalion said to the two Alphas. "Do you really want to stay beholden to a couple of maladjusted teenagers bound to become a liability. And believe me, they will become a liability. In fact, I have a feeling one of them is getting himself into trouble right now." Sophia blinked, not understanding what he was talking about. It took her a moment to realize that the twins were Alphas. They were at the school specificly to mess with Scott, Isaac and herself.

**XXX**

"See, the reason I'm always invested in new talent is simple. We all know a pack is strongest due to its individual parts. The stronger the individual parts the greater the whole." Deucalion said before he opened up his walking stick, each piece popping into place. "When I lost my sight, one of my betas assumed I wasn't fit for my role anymore. He tried to take it from me." He began to pop each piece free and fold them back down. "Killing him taught me something about Alphas I didn't know they could do. His power was added to mine. I became stronger, faster, and more powerful than I'd ever been. I tested this new ability to subsume the power of your own by killing another one. In fact, I killed them all. I took the individual parts and became a greater individual whole." With a flick of his wrist, he popped all of the pieces of his walking stick back together. Sophia looked over at Derek, he was grunting and the blood running down the pipe was turning a darker and darker shade of red.

Sophia looked up at Deucalion knelt in front of Derek, reaching for his head. She growled, her fangs dropping and her eyes shifting. She knew she wasn't a match for the blind Alpha but that wasn't going to stop her. Before she could move, Ennis had put his foot on the back of her neck, holding her down. Deucalion gripped Derek's hair and lifted his head, causing the younger Alpha to groan. Sophia growled again as Deucalion's free hand came up and felt around his face before dropping his head. "Hmm. You're right, Kali. He looks like his mother." He stood up, moving away from them. Ennis lifted his foot, allowing Sophia to rise again and shuffle a little closer to Derek. "You'll get to know me, Derek, like she did."

"I know you. I know what you are." Derek said, blood dripping from his mouth. "You're a fanatic." The older Alpha put his walking stick down before turning back to Derek and Sophia.

"Know me?" He asked. "You've never seen anything like me. I am the Alpha of Alphas. I am the apex of apex predators! I am death, destroyer of worlds! I am the demon wolf!" Sophia hid slightly behind Derek before glancing at Cora, who had also hidden behind a support pillar. Kali finally pulled the pipe free and Sophia looked at Derek, seeing him sway slightly. "Hate when that happens." Deucalion said after he removed his glasses from his face. The three Alphas left as Derek fell to his side, Cora and Sophia were instantly by his side. Sophia laid a hand on his neck, siphoning his pain. She wasn't sure how long she'd stayed in the loft before she suddenly had a claustrophobic feeling. She stood up quickly, "I have to go." She muttered, not even sure of Cora heard her or was even paying attention. She wanted to be the one to tell Derek on her own terms about her becoming an Alpha but Deucalion had shot that to hell and who knows how he was going to react when he was healed. Sophia didn't want to be around for that. She'd seen enough anger from the man to last her a lifetime.

She ran down the stairs and got into her car, deciding between driving home or going to one of her boy's houses. She eventually decided to go home.

**XXX**

She had finally settled down for the night. Her parents were out on their usual date night. Even though it was raining, with thunder and lightning, they always made sure that Wednesday nights were date nights. Where they go out and see a movie or go to dinner or whatever else caught their fancy. Sophia looked up from her laptop as thunder crashed outside. She watched the rain hit the window for a moment before she heard the doorbell ring.

"What the hell?" She muttered, getting up and running downstairs. She glanced through the peephole, not seeing much because of how dark it was. She opened the door and was surprised to see Isaac on the other side. The beta was soaking wet from head to toe. "Isaac?" She asked, grabbing the boy's wrist and pulling him inside. "Wait here." She said, running to get a few towels for the boy to dry off with. She ran back and handed them to him.

"Thanks." He said softly, beginning to dry himself off the best he could so that he could move around her house.

"What are you doing here?" The she-wolf asked, a little unsure of what the beta was doing at her house, especially on a night like tonight. They were, sort of, friends but it seemed weird.

"Well… um… Derek kind of kicked me out so I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor…" Isaac said, finishing drying his hair. Sophia blinked.

"He kicked you out?" She asked, making sure she had heard him right and he nodded. "Okay, what about Scott?" She asked and Isaac shrunk in on himself slightly. "Not that you can't stay here, I was just wondering. You know, we're not exactly best friends." She said, shrugging her shoulders before picking up the towels.

"I know…" Isaac said softly, carefully following the girl around. "You were closer than Scott and it started to rain heavier about halfway here. I didn't know where else to go." She held the towels in her arms as she looked at the beta.

"Well, believe it or not, at this point we need to look out for each other so you can stay here." She smiled. "I promise. Do you have anything dry to change into?" She asked and he nodded, motioning to the waterproof duffle he had set down. "Good. Come on, I'll show you the guest room." She said, leading the beta up the stairs. Once Isaac was settled, she went back to her room to grab her phone.

_**To Big Bad (9:24 pm)**_

_**You're a shitty Alpha. Kicking out your beta on a night like tonight. You're lucky he came to my house otherwise he was going to be sleeping on the street. You need to learn to be a better Alpha; otherwise you're falling right into the category of Deucalion. Just wanted to let you know you're an asshole and if you even cared, you're beta is with me.**_

Sophia sent the text to Derek, turning her phone off and not even waiting for a reply. She hasn't been an Alpha long but the power of an Alpha comes from their pack and if he keeps distancing them, he won't have any power at all. Yes, he was worried about what Deucalion said, Sophia was too, but that was no reason to treat your betas (friends) like shit. Sophia sighed and laid down on her bed, closing her laptop before falling into a light sleep.

**XXX**

She was awoken when her bedroom door opened. She blinked her eyes open, seeing Isaac standing in the doorway. "Isaac? Is everything alright?" She asked and the beta jumped in surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He said and Sophia motioned for him to come in. The beta stepped into the room, closing it behind him as he sat down on the edge of the bed. Sophia rolled closest to the wall while opening her arms to the beta. He looked surprised before he laid down and scooted into her arms and laying his head on her chest. She didn't know why she did it but she felt an overwhelming need to protect and comfort the Beta.

"What's up?" She asked, gently rubbing his back. He took in a deep breath before letting it out.

"When Derek kicked me out, he threw a glass at me. It was the last thing my father did to me before he died." Isaac said, closing his eyes and subconsciously trying to burrow deeper into Sophia. Her hand froze.

"He did?" Isaac nodded. She was going to kick his ass.

"I just had a nightmare is all. I'm really sorry I woke you up." Isaac said, bringing her from thoughts. She continued to rub his back.

"It's okay." She pressed a kiss to the top of his head. She could feel the beta getting heavier and heavier against her. "Get some sleep Isaac." The boy muttered something she couldn't understand before he was asleep. Sophia looked down at him. She wasn't even sure if they could be considered friends but here she was, offering her comfort to the boy. She pressed another kiss to his head before deciding that she was going to talk to Derek in the morning. She laid her head back against the pillows and fell asleep.

**XXX**

"DEREK! We have to talk!" Sophia yelled into the loft when she came in. Cora, Peter, and Derek were all standing around the table when she walked in. The Alpha crossed his arms, looking at her.

"Yeah, we do." He said, walking around the table to get closer to her.

"First off, why the hell would you throw a glass at Isaac!? Do you not remember the situation he came from!?" She yelled, still advancing towards the Alpha, her green eyes beginning to bleed red. Just looking at the man made her angry.

"I did it so he would leave." Derek said calmly, watching the change in eye color.

"He had nowhere else to go! You threw him out onto the street on the worse night possible." She said, clenching in hands into fists.

"He found somewhere to go." Derek said and Sophia growled, fangs dropping.

"Not without being soaked to the bone first. You know what happened last night? He had a nightmare. The first one since he moved in with you. He came into my room around three in the morning and slept with me because he couldn't get to sleep on his own." Sophia said and Derek raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to kill your pack so you're pushing them away. That's not how to do it Derek."

"Well then why don't you tell me?! Since you're such an amazing Alpha and all!" Derek said back, finally uncrossing his arms and coming chest to chest with Sophia. She could hear Peter's quiet murmurs to Cora, probably trying to figure out what Derek meant.

"I think you already know you're a dumbass so it's nothing I need to tell you." She said, putting her hands on her hips. Derek growled at her.

"How the hell are you even an Alpha? Who did you have to kill?" Sophia rolled her eyes and turned to leave when Derek grabbed her arm, hard.

"Let me go."

"Not until you tell me."

"You wanna know who I killed?" Derek nodded his head. She yanked her arm away from him and wrapped then around herself, like she was trying to hold herself together. "I killed Max." She said quietly and the room quieted.

"Your boyfriend?" Derek asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, apparently, he was an Alpha and a part of the Alpha pack. His job was to use me and get into the pack. Like an idiot, I fell for him. All because he showed me a little attention." Derek's brow furrowed.

"What?" He asked and Sophia looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I don't get a lot of attention from guys because of the whole, playing Lacrosse thing, especially the one I like so when he talked to me in the store and asked for my number, I didn't think that he would be one of the bad guys. He was so sweet and nice and everything and I just fell for it." Sophia said, realizing that her story similar to Derek's in some ways. "I was so stupid and now I'm an Alpha. Hell, I didn't even know he was dead until the morning after he and Kali attacked me. I thought he was alive, he was when I left." Derek watched the she-wolf quietly. "I did what I had to do to survive." She said, pushing her hair behind her ears.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Derek asked softly.

"I was afraid of what you would say." She glanced over at him before looking back down at the ground.

"What?"

"Derek, you're definitely not the easiest person to be around and you're finally an Alpha. Who knows what you'll say. Exhibit A, the beta at my house that's staying in my guest room for a while, at least until after Scott talks to his mom." She said before shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. I'll see you around." She said, turning and leaving. She made sure to ignore the sound of Derek's voice calling her back.


	28. Frayed

**A/N: Another chapter! I think I want to try and post two for you guys! So here's the first one! I hope you guys like it! Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Thunder cracked up ahead and Sophia couldn't help but wonder how she ended up going to a Cross Country meet with Scott, Stiles, Boyd, and Isaac. The three best friends were sitting in the back, Stiles and Scott in the last seat with Sophia one seat ahead. She was lying completely out, her feet dangling in the aisle. She was trying to sleep since she hadn't been sleeping well the last few days but she couldn't fall asleep. Instead, she stared at the roof while listening to Stiles quiz Scott about his upcoming test.

"You with me Scotty?" Stiles asked, apparently Scott was having the same problem.

"Yeah, sorry. What's the word?" Scott asked him.

"_Anachronism._" Stiles said. Sophia had no idea.

"Something that exists out of its normal time." Scott answers.

"Nice. Okay, next word, _incongruous._"

"Can you use it in a sentence?"

"Yes, it is _incongruous_ we're sitting on a bus right now on our way to some stupid cross-country meet after everything that happened." Sophia said from where she was laying, having used her phone to quickly look up the word.

"Out of place, ridiculous, absurd." Scott answered.

"Perfect. Okay, next word." Stiles said. "Um, Darach. Darach, it's a noun." Sophia sat up in her seat, leaning against the window to look at the boy. Stiles looked between the two of them. "We have to talk about it sometime, okay? And we're gonna be stuck on this thing for, like, five hours so why not?" Both wolves stayed quiet. "Next word…" Stiles said before clearing his throat. "_Intransigent._"

"Stubborn, obstinate." Scott said before the bus hit a bump. Scott groaned loudly, causing Sophia to get up on her knees so that she could lean over the back of the seat.

"Oh, buddy, you okay?" Stiles asked. Scott's face was distorted in pain as he exhaled.

"We shouldn't have come." Sophia said quietly, reaching over to him and gently brushing her fingertips across his forehead to measure his pain level.

"We had to." Scott said, opening his eyes to look at Sophia before they flickered over to Ethan, who was sitting beside Danny. "There's safety in numbers."

"Yeah, well, there's also death in numbers." Stiles said back. "It's called a massacre or bloodbath, or carnage, slaughter, butchery, wow, that's…" Scott groaned again.

"That's it. I'm telling coach." Sophia said, making a move to get up when Scott grabbed her wrist.

"No, no, no, no." He said, shaking his head softly. "I'm alright."

"Well, sorry for worrying but you don't look alright." Sophia said, glancing between him and Stiles. She slid back into her seat. "Let me see it." She said reaching from the hem of Scott's shirt when the boy jumped and lightly pushed her hands away.

"I'm okay." He said again.

"Just let me see it, okay?" Sophia asked again, quietly. Scott nodded finally before turning to them and lifting his shirt, two long scratched adorned his left side.

"Scott…" Sophia said and he left his shirt fall back down as he tried to get comfortable.

"I know it's bad but it's because they're from an Alpha. It'll take longer to heal." Stiles glanced at Sophia.

"How come Boyd, Isaac, and Sophia are fine then?" He asked the beta.

"I can't believe he's dead." Scott said. "I can't believe Derek's dead." Sophia was silent. She couldn't believe it either.

**XXX**

"McCall, not you, too." Coach said to Scott. Sophia peeked her head over the seat in front of her when Scott sat up straight.

"No, coach, I'm good." He said and Sophia glanced over at him. She was about to lay back down when Stiles said something.

"Hey, Scott, you're bleeding again." He said and Sophia was up on her knees, looking back at them in a second. "And don't tell me that it's just taking longer to heal, okay? Because I'm pretty sure that still bleeding means not healing, like, at all."

"He's listening." Scott said, nudging his head towards Ethan. His head was cocked to the side, his ear pointed in their direction.

"Is he going to do something?" Stiles asked and Sophia shook her head, putting her hand on the back of Scott's neck to drain some of his pain.

"Not in front of this many people." Sophia said, watching the black veins appear on her arm with the accompaniment of the pain that Scott was feeling in his side.

"Okay, well, what about the two ticking time bombs sitting right near him?" Stiles asked and Sophia turned around to look at Isaac and Boyd.

"No, they won't." Scott said, looking around Sophia to see the other two betas. "Not here."

"Okay, well, what if they do? Are one of you going to stop them?" Stiles asked again.

"If we have to." Sophia said, pulling her hand away from Scott's neck. Suddenly, the bus slammed on its breaks, knocking Sophia back into the seat in front of her. She groaned as she settled back into her seat and looked out the windshield, there was a line of cars going on as far as the eye could see. As she leaned back to settle, she saw Boyd turn his head, his eyes were gold. Scott must've noticed too because he was about to get up. Sophia laid a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Stay." She said before getting up, making her way down the aisle.

"Sophia? Where is she going?" She could hear Stiles called for her before turning to ask Scott.

"Boyd. He's gonna do something." Scott answered.

"What? How do you know?" The human boy asked.

"Look at his hands." Scott answered again. Boyd's hands gripped the seat in front of him, his claws out and ready. Sophia hurried down the aisle, grabbing Boyd's hand before kneeling down beside him, looking into his eyes before hers began to shine Alpha red.

"Let go." Boyd said to her.

"You got a plan, hotshot?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as he eyes go from red to emerald again. "Go ahead, tell me your brilliant plan, and I'll let you go." He glanced back at Ethan before turning to her again. "What are you going to do, Boyd? Kill him right here? Then what are you going to do?"

"I don't care." Boyd said, leaning in slightly closer to Sophia. He made a move to go after Ethan but Sophia held his arm firm as Isaac grabbed the other one. Sophia's eyes glow red again. She growled slightly and bared her fangs at him.

"I do." She said and Isaac leaned around Boyd.

"Hey, is Scott still hurt?" He asked, glancing back at the other boy. Boyd stopped struggling to look at her before glancing back to Scott. Her fangs receded as he eyes slowly changed back to normal.

"He is." She said, knowing that they could smell his scent on her; it was probably laced with pain from what she was healing before. She turned her attention back to Boyd. "Give us a chance to figure something out, something that won't have to end with someone else dying." Boyd glanced at Ethan before looking back at Stiles and Scott.

"Okay." He said quietly. She nodded her head, standing up and making her way back to her seat.

"Crisis averted?" She heard Stiles ask.

"Mmm-hmm." Scott answered. He was probably listening in the whole time.

"Okay, that's good because we got another problem." Stiles said once the girl had sat down. "Ethan keeps checking his phone, like, every five minutes. It's like he's waiting for something, you know, like, a message or a signal of some kind. I don't know, something evil though, I can tell. I have a very perceptive eye for evil, but you know that." Sophia looked at the boy with a raised eyebrow.

"How much Adderall have you had today?" She asked and the boy looked at her.

"None." He said, blinking a few times as if trying to recall if he had taken it and Sophia sighed fondly before turning her attention to the twin sitting with Danny.

"I don't like him sitting with Danny." Scott said to his friends.

"Yeah, neither do I." Stiles answered.

"Nope, not one bit." Sophia said.

"I'm gonna see what he's waiting for." Stiles said as he reached into his pocket to pull out his phone.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked.

"I'm gonna ask." Stiles answered as if it was the easiest thing in the world. He began typing up a text and he sent it. A second later, she could hear Danny's phone chime. She watched as Danny reached into his pocket to pull out his phone before reading the message. He turned around, shaking his head and telling Stiles no. Stiles looked between Scott and Sophia when Danny turned back around. Stiles typed out another message and sent it. Danny's phone chimed again as he read what Stiles had typed. Danny sent him a reply before Stiles sent him one of his own. Another message from Danny and then Stiles sent him one more. Danny put his phone in his pocket without answering Stiles last text, so Stiles did something that was so him. He began typing messages and sending them, one right after the other, Danny's phone just continued to chime. Ethan turned to Danny, a little confused and concerned.

"Something wrong?" Ethan asked Danny.

"Actually, I was wondering the same thing about you." Danny answered, finally asking. Stiles and Scott leaned in closer, and obviously, while Sophia listened subtly. Ethan immediately turned around to the three of them and Stiles and Scott ducked down behind the seat. Sophia acted like she didn't know anything.

"Well, that wasn't very subtle." Stiles said.

"You think?" Sophia asked sarcastically. Both boys sat up before Stiles' phone went off. Sophia leaned over the seat and turned Stiles' phone so that they could all read the message.

'_**Someone close to him is sick. Might not make it through the night.'**_ Sophia's brow furrowed. It couldn't be… could it?

"Ennis?" Scott asked.

"Okay, so does that mean…" Stiles began.

"He's not dead." Scott answered.

"Not yet." Sophia said as she turned around and got settled back in her seat.

**XXX**

"Now the rest of you, don't think we're gonna miss this meet because of a slight traffic jam, a minor tornado warning, Jared. We're gonna make this thing. Nothing is gonna stop us!" Finstock said from near the front of the bus. Stiles raised his hand behind Sophia. "Stilinski, put your hand down."

"You know, there's, like, a food exit about a half mile up." Stiles said to the coach. "I don't know if we stop and then maybe traffic…"

"We're not gonna stop." Finstock said before Stiles was finished.

"Okay, but if we stop…"

"Stilinski!" Coach said before blowing his whistle. "Shut it! Seriously! It's a little bus! Stop asking me questions!" Stiles settled back in his seat.

"I hate him." The boy said before covering his mouth.

"How is he even a teacher?" Sophia asked and both of her boys shrugged.

"Did you call Deaton?" Stiles asked Scott, turning to look at the other boy. He sighed.

"I keep getting his voicemail." Scott answered weakly.

"That's it. I'm calling Lydia and Allison." Stiles said reaching for his phone again.

"Aren't they back in Beacon Hills? How are they gonna help?" Sophia asked, once again turning to them.

"They're not. They've been following us for hours." Stiles said before Sophia and Scott looked out the back window. Sophia immediately noticed the Toyota in the slew of cars behind them. He put the phone to his ear and waited. The call was decently short before Stiles stood up and walked over to Coach, trying to work his magic into letting them pull over. When he left, Sophia slid into Stiles' seat so that she was beside Scott. She grabbed his wrist gently, siphoning more pain away as she watched Stiles. A lot of yelling and whistling blowing from both ends resulting in Stiles beginning the 'walk of shame' back towards them. He stopped about halfway down though, before turned and slipping into the seat next to Jared, who still looked like he was going to throw up at any second.

"Oh boy…" Sophia said, gently smoothing some of Scott's hair back from his sweaty forehead.

**XXX**

Apparently, Jared throwing up was all the motivation Coach needed for them to pull over. When the bus had started moving again, they went right to the rest stop and as soon as the doors opened, everyone came running out. It took Stiles and Sophia longer because they had to help Scott off the bus. As they walked towards the men's room, they met up with Allison and Lydia. They sat him down on the floor besides the sinks, he groaned as he settled. "I've been taking his pain but he's pretty bad." Sophia said, looking down at her best friend as she stood. Allison lifted his shirt and saw that the once red blood had turned black, which didn't make much sense to Sophia.

"Oh my God, why didn't you tell us?" Allison asked.

"Sorry." Scott said with a small smile on his face.

"Okay." Allison said. "Just give us a second, okay?" Allison stood up and faced the other three people in the bathroom. "This shouldn't be happening. I've seen him heal from worse than this." She turned her attention to the redheaded she-wolf. "Why isn't he healing?" Sophia blinked a couple of times.

"If I knew that I would have told you. I've never seen a werewolf not heal before. I always heal. Derek always heals. Laura always healed… He should have healed and been fine, just like Boyd, Isaac, and I." Sophia said, looking down at her friend and pack mate.

"Okay, what do we do then? Do we call an ambulance?" Stiles asked them.

"What if… what if it's too late? What if they can't help?" Allison asked, getting slightly emotional. Sophia glanced at Lydia and saw her thinking.

"What is it Lydia?" She asked, drawing the other's attention as well.

"You know, it could be psychological." She said, looking at them.

"What do you mean, like, psychosomatic?" Stiles asked.

"Somatoformic." Sophia raised an eyebrow and shrugged her shoulders at Lydia's correction of what Stiles had said. "A physical illness from a psychogenic cause." Stiles flailed a little, his way of asking for more information.

"It's all in his head." Sophia said to him.

"All in his head?" Stiles asked. "Because of Derek… He's not letting himself heal 'cause Derek died."

"So what do we do?" Allison asked.

"Stitch him up." Lydia said, tilting her head as she reached into her bag and pulled out some stuff they could use. "I'm serious. Maybe all he needs to do is believe its healing." Stiles, Allison, and Sophia nodded.

**XXX**

Sophia and Stiles had gotten Scott's shirt off as Allison heated up a needle to sterilize it. Stiles then moved to grab a bunch of paper towels for her. "He's gonna need another shirt. Where's his bag?" Allison asked, looking around.

"Um… I'm gonna get it. I hate needles anyway, so…" Stiles said, standing up. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Yeah, my father taught me." Allison answered and Sophia nodded.

"I mean, how fast as you gonna…" Stiles began. "I mean, the bus, like the bus could leave."

"Okay, just make sure it doesn't leave." Allison said, looking back at him.

"I can help. Come on." Lydia said, grabbing Stiles' arm and pulling him from the bathroom. Sophia stood up by the door, leaning against the wall and letting Allison work. Sophia turned to Allison when she was having trouble threading the needle; she got so frustrated to the point where she was going to cry before she took in a deep breath, finally able to thread the needle. She began to stitch him up. Sophia wasn't sure how long she'd zoned out but when Scott woke up with a gasp, it caused Sophia to jump. "Can you stand?" She asked and Sophia walked over to help him up. "Here, put this on." Allison said, helping Scott into a new shirt.

**XXX**

Sophia helped Allison support Scott as they walked out of the bathroom. Lydia came jogging over. "IS he okay? Are you okay?" She asked, taking the bag that Sophia held out to her.

"Yeah, where's Stiles?" Scott asked.

"Trying to stall Coach." Lydia said, putting the bag over her own shoulder. "We still don't have gas." Lydia said to Allison.

"I'm not leaving him." The brunette said firmly.

"Then we have to leave the car." Lydia said.

"Sounds good." Allison answered.

"What? That wasn't an actual suggestion." Lydia said, stopping for a moment before continuing to follow the three.

**XXX**

_Sophia followed Derek, Boyd, and Cora to the place where Scott was meeting Deucalion. The younger beta had brought Isaac along as well. The two Alphas stepped out of the shadows, closer to where Deucalion was standing._

"_You knew I would do this?" Scott asked Derek. "Derek, don't. You can't do this and no one gets hurt. If someone else dies…" The redhead followed Derek, slowly, the two of them already in their Beta forms, eyes a shining red in the darkness of the old abandoned mall._

"_Him." Derek said, pointing to where Deucalion was standing. "Just him."_

"_Just me?" Deucalion asked. "Now, how's a blind man find his way into a place like this all on his own?" The man pointed out and Sophia knew he was right. The others were around somewhere. Kali appeared first, growling softly. Sophia turned her attention and body to the woman, growling as well, stepping closer to the tanned she-wolf. Ennis walked up the stairs behind Scott and Isaac, causing both Betas to jump slightly and move away from him. The twins were on the level above._

**XXX**

People were clamoring by the bus when the four of them got there. "Stiles, what's happening?" Sophia asked as they came closer. Stiles came over to them quickly.

"They went after him." He said, looking back at the circle of people. "I told him what was happening with you, and he just went after him." Stiles said to Scott.

"Who? Boyd?" Scott said, moving into the circle of students. Boyd was standing off to the side, watching Isaac as he beat the shit out of Ethan. Sophia dropped Scott's arm, coming up beside the blonde and catching his wrist.

"Isaac!" She yelled, her eyes swirling red and her voice very slightly distorted from a show of Alpha power. All around them, the circle went quiet. Isaac stopped and turned to her, he was panting as he glanced between Scott and Sophia. She let go of his wrist and pointed to the bus. "Get on the bus." Her eyes were emerald again and her voice was back to normal. She looked at Boyd over his shoulder. "You too." Both boys nodded softly before they entered the bus first, slowly, other students began to follow them. Sophia panted softly as she turned to their small group, they all stood silently.

**XXX**

_Everything fell silent before Derek growled, making the first move. He ran towards Deucalion, only to be stopped by Kali. Sophia roared as she ran up behind Derek, using his back as a spring board to kick the other woman in the face. The twins had jumped down to their level and combined on the way down, forming their Super Alpha form._

_Derek and Sophia were taking on Kali, Boyd and Cora had Ennis, which left Scott and Isaac with the twins while Deucalion sat and listened to everything. The fight didn't last long and it was clear to them all that the fight wasn't in their favor, especially when all of the Betas were down. Sophia growled, snapping her jaws a couple of times before she went after Ennis. She wasn't sure what made her go after the biggest Alpha but she had. She swung her claws at his head and neck, always coming short. He dodged her every time before reaching out and grabbing her by the neck. He swiped her feet out from under her with one of his before lifting her up and slamming her into the ground. She could feel the concrete move around her as the force of her fall made a dent. She groaned as she glared up at him. They were both growling softly at each other._

"_Kill him." Deucalion said and it took Sophia a moment to realize what he was talking about. He was trying to get Derek, the only one free, to kill Boyd. Derek turned to the blind wolf before looking down at his injured Beta. Boyd looked up at his Alpha silently. "The others can go." Derek looked around, his eyes meeting Sophia's briefly before he turned back to Boyd. "You're beaten. Do it, Derek. Take the first step."_

"_Are we serious with this kid?" Kali asked. "Look at him." Derek turned to the woman. "He's an Alpha? To what? A couple of useless teenagers?" Sophia struggled briefly against Ennis, silently wishing she had the same toe claws that Kali had._

"_Some have more promise than others." Deucalion said as he continued to walk down the steps towards them._

"_Let him rise to the occasion then." Kali said again and Sophia tilted her head to look at them. Who? "What'll it be, Derek? Pack, family, or love?" She stepped a little harder of Cora's throat and Ennis squeezed hers a little harder as well, digging his claws into the back of her neck. Which one was she? There was a moment of silence, like Derek was trying to choose when Sophia heard the familiar sound of an arrow flying through the air. The first arrow hit the twins, causing them to split apart. The second one blinded Kali and Ennis, causing them to let go of Cora and Sophia. Derek and Sophia immediately ran to help Boyd get up before handing him off to Cora, who led him away. Looking back, Sophia saw that Scott and Ennis were facing each other. They ran and each other before colliding in the middle. Scott slid away from Ennis with the force of the hit and when he lifted his head, Sophia saw that his eyes were no longer Beta gold but a shade of Alpha red._

_A quick shake of his head made then go back to gold. Ennis growled at him but before he could advance on the beta, Derek ran up behind him, pushing him. He began slashing at the bigger Alpha, getting knocked away when Ennis managed to land a blow on his stomach. Sophia ran up behind the bigger Alpha, growling at him to distract him from Derek, allowing him to get up. Their fighting slowly moved around, until they were at the edge of the platform. Sophia glanced at Isaac before she turned back to the fight; Scott managed to make his way over to the fighting Alphas before he slashed at the back of Ennis' knee. The Alpha grunted and tried to shift away from Scott, which caused him to step over the edge. As he began to fall, Sophia realized that he wasn't letting go of Derek, causing the Alpha to fall over the edge with him._

_Derek locked eyes with Sophia before he went over the edge. She ran over to the edge, falling to her knees beside Scott as she looked over the edge. "DEREK!" She screamed, not sounding too far off from Lydia._

**XXX**

Sophia jumped awake; she was on the bus with everyone. Allison and Lydia had joined their group, sitting with Scott and Stiles while Boyd and Isaac were sitting together again and keeping out of trouble. She sighed as she threw an arm over her face. She was once again lying down, letting her feet dangle into the aisle. She turned a listening ear to Stiles who was sitting behind her with Lydia.

"Alright, let's go over this one more time." He said to Lydia. "So it's the sacrifices, right? Everything has to do with them and someone who thinks he's, like, a dark druid of some kind."

"Or actually is a dark druid." Lydia said back to him. She made an excellent point.

"A Darach."

"You know, some ancient cultures sacrificed people in preparation for battle."

"So we got Alpha werewolves against a dark druid."

"Yeah." Sophia sighed and rubbed her face. She just wanted everything back to normal.


	29. Motel California

**A/N: Here's the second chapter I said I would do today! Since I start classes today, hopefully this will hold you all off until the weekend! :) I had this one written but went back and completely rewrote it so I hope you guys like it! Please let me know what you think and please don't forget to fave, follow, and review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Scott woke Sophia up on his way off the bus. The girl jumped before realizing where she was. With a sigh, she stretched, listening to her joints pop one by one. She was enjoying the burning feeling of getting her muscles stretched out. She grabbed her bag that was on the ground in front of her before making her way out of the bus. They were at a motel, definitely not a five star one but like Scott had said, there are worst ones to be in. Coach blew the whistle, gaining everyone's attention.

"Listen up. The meet's been pushed till tomorrow." Finstock said to everyone. "This is the closest motel with the most vacancies and least amount of good judgment when it comes to accepting a bunch of degenerates like yourselves. You'll be pairing up. Choose wisely." Everyone grabbed a key, leaving two left when it was just Finstock and Sophia.

"Odd number of people." She said, taking one of them.

"You lucked out." He told her with a small smile. "And I'll have no sexual perversions perpetrated by you little deviants. Got that? Keep your dirty little hands to your dirty little selves." Sophia rolled her eyes as she went up the stairs to the room she had, 201. She threw her bag in the room, glancing around before walking out and closing the door, making her way to Stiles' and Scott's room. She knocked and Stiles let her in. She closed the door behind her as Scott and Stiles fell onto their beds, looking at the ceiling. Sophia tilted her head at them.

"Aright then." She said as she sat down beside Stiles.

"So, who did you room with?" Scott asked. Sophia glanced at him.

"No one, there was an odd number of students. I got a room to myself." She said with a smile. Both boys rolled their eyes.

"You know, it's nice to share." Stiles said, looking at the girl beside his hip. She shook her head softly.

"No it's not." Both boys chuckled.

**XXX**

Sophia went back to her room to get a change of clothes before she went back to Scott and Stiles' room. While she was changing, she kept hearing something from the bathroom. She chalked it up to mice or rats until the shower kicked on. She froze, letting her fangs and claws come out. She was the only one with a key to this room. She slowly and quietly stepped into the bathroom, the shower was definitely on. She caught the shower curtain with her hand before she pulled it open. There was no one there. She let her nails and teeth return to normal before reached in and turned off the shower. She glanced around; there was nothing in the bathroom and nothing was out of place…that said anyone else had been there. She pursed her lips before turning and walking back into the room to finish getting dressed.

Neither boy was there when she got back so she decided to have a little girl time. Allison wasn't her favorite person in the world and Lydia had gotten better but was still a little lower on the list but with everything that was happening with the Alphas there had to be some people she could trust. Sophia knocked on the door and Lydia answered it, she looked a little surprised. "Hi…?" She said even though it was stated like a question.

"Hey. I know this is gonna sound weird and all but I was wondering if we could hang out or something… the boys are doing their own thing and… yeah…" Sophia said, a little out of her element. Lydia nodded, moving aside so that she could come in.

"Did you hear me Allison?" Lydia said once she had closed the door.

"198?" She asked from the bathroom, drying her hair.

"Yes." Lydia answered as she sat back down on the bed. "And we're talking 40 years. On average, that's 4.95 a year, which is actually expected. But who commemorates that with a framed number?" Sophia stepped into the bathroom to change clothes.

"Not to sound stupid but what are you guys talking about?" She asked as she stripped off her clothes and changed into a pair of black leggings and one of Stiles' old t-shirts, leaving her sports bra on as she walked back into the room.

"In the office there is a number framed and it commemorates the number of suicide related deaths that happened in this hotel. They're number one in the state of California." Lydia said, looking at the slightly older redhead. Sophia snorted.

"Yeah, that's something to be proud of." She said, sitting down beside the other girl.

"All suicides?" Allison asked, playing with her lip balm in her hands.

"Yes." Lydia answers. "Hanging, throat-cutting, pill-popping, both-barrels-of-a-shotgun-in-the-mouth suicides. I don't know about you two, but me, I… Did you hear that?" She strayed off.

"Hear what?" Allison asked and Sophia shrugged her shoulders. Lydia stood up and turned around before stepping up onto the bed. Sophia watched her carefully. Since Peter, Sophia's been a little hard to trust the girl and all of this strange behavior was only making it worse. Lydia stood in the middle of the bed, looking at the air duct. "Lydia?" The brunette asked.

"Oh my God." Lydia said quietly. Suddenly, the girl jumped back and Sophia jumped off the bed, ready to catch her if needed.

"What is it, Lydia? What happened?" Allison asked, coming to stand beside Sophia.

"Didn't you hear that?" She asked, turning to the two of them.

"Hear what?" Allison asked.

"Lydia, I'm a werewolf with supernatural hearing and I didn't hear anything at all." Sophia said, tilting her head slightly at the girl still standing on the bed. She gasped as she stepped down.

"The two people in the other room, they shot each other." She said. The other girl's mouths dropped open before they watched Lydia run to the door. They went after her, watching as she stopped in front of room 216.

"Lydia." Allison called to the girl as they came into the hallway. She pushed the door open, which was weird because all of the doors need keys to open them.

"Hello?" She called inside, flipping the light switch a couple times but no lights came on inside. The girl walked deeper into the room. Allison glanced around before turning back to her.

"Lydia, what are you doing?" Lydia didn't answer as she continued to walk inside.

"Hello?" She called out again. Sophia nudged her head inside and Allison nodded, following behind her friend. Sophia followed the younger girls inside, jumping to the side when she felt someone touch her shoulder. Allison was in front of her and so was Lydia so she knew it wasn't either girl.

"Are you okay?" Allison asked as she turned to the she-wolf.

"Um…" Sophia looked around. "Yeah, yeah… I'm fine." She turned back to Allison. "Let's find Lydia." She said and Allison nodded before they began walking again. Lydia must've found a light because by the time the two girls reached her, they were able to see. The room was empty except for tools and such. The room was being redone. How had Lydia heard people shooting each other? "It had to be right here. It was a guy and a girl and they sounded younger, but… They were here."

"I believe you." Allison said, taking a step closer to Lydia. "After everything we've been through, I believe you." No ticks, no blips. She was telling the truth but Sophia believed her as well. There has to be some explanation for this. Lydia sighs and looks around before stopping. She walked closer to the wall, seeing something. She turned and grabbed the wrist of both girls, dragging them back to their room. She began collecting their things that they had out.

"You know, there is something seriously wrong with this place. We need to leave." She walked over to her bag to put the things in. Sophia raised an eyebrow. Was it too late to hang out with the boys?

"But they were suicides, not murders, and it's not like this place is haunted, right?" Allison said and Sophia glanced up at her from where she was sitting on the bed. Lydia stopped packing to turn to the brunette.

"Maybe it is. You know, I bet that couple made their suicide pact in that very room. Maybe that's why they're renovating. Maybe they've been scraping brain matter off the wood paneling." The she-wolf sat in silence, her emerald eyes flicking between both girls.

"Maybe we should find out." Allison said.

**XXX**

When they came to the main desk there was no one there. "Well, there goes that." Sophia glanced through glass and noticed the sign Lydia had been talking about.

"Hey, Lyds…" She said, gaining the girl's attention. "Did you say that the sign said 198?" Lydia glanced at her before looking at the sign. It now read 202.

"It was 198. I swear to God it was 198." She looked between the two other girls.

"Okay, what does that mean? That there's been four more suicides?" Allison asked.

"Or four more about to happen." Lydia said as they all took one more look at the number.

**XXX**

Sophia told Allison and Lydia that she was going back to her room since she was walking around the entire hotel without shoes on. She came into her room, grabbing her bag and pulling out her tennis shoes. She slipped on one of her tennis shoes without socks before she grabbed the other one when she felt something brush against the back of her neck. She froze, taking in a deep breath but not catching a scent.

"Did you miss me?" A familiar and chilling voice asked. She turned around quickly, coming face to face with Max.

"I thought…" She began, stepping back as he stepped off the bed.

"That you killed me? Yeah… not really a nice thing to do to your boyfriend." He said with a sad look on his face.

"You were going to kill me, what was a supposed to do?" She tried to growl at him but nothing came out.

"Oh, Sophie." He said, his hand brushing against her cheek. She closed her eyes, trying not to cry or shake. This had to be a dream…

**XXX**

"Last time I saw Scott act like that was during the full moon." Allison said to Stiles.

"Yeah, I know. He was definitely a little off with me, too." Stiles said back to her, recounting Scott's strange behavior since they got to the hotel. "But actually, it was Boyd who was really off. I watched him put his fist through the vending machine."

"You know, Sophia was a little strange too." Allison said, looking between Stiles and Lydia.

"What do you mean?" The boy asked.

"When we followed Lydia into that room. She acted like someone was out to get her, she was jumpy and overall not herself." Allison explained. Stiles blinked with an unsure look on his face.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound like her at all." He said.

"See, it is the motel." Lydia said to them. "Either we need to get out of here right now or someone needs to learn how to do an exorcism ASAP before the werewolves go crazy and kill us." Lydia continued as she opened the drawer and pulled out a red bible.

"Okay, just hold on, alright?" Stiles said, holding his hand up towards Lydia. "What if it's not just the motel? The number in the office went up by four, right?" He asked them.

"You mean like four sacrifices?" Allison asked.

"What if this time it's four werewolves?" Stiles said, looking between the girls.

"Scott, Isaac, Boyd, and Sophia." Allison said.

"Maybe we were meant to come here." Stiles said.

"Exactly! So can we get the hell out of here now?!" Lydia said as she took a few steps closer to Stiles. "Please?"

"Hang on. Let me see this." Stiles said, taking the bible that Lydia picked up, into his own hands. Stiles opened it up and found a newspaper clipping in it.

"What is that?" Allison asked as both girls stepped closer so that they could see it. **'28-Year-Old Man Hangs Self At The Infamous Glen Capri' **it read. Stiles read the title before he got ready to flip to another page, he then decided just to flip the bible over. As he did, more newspaper clippings fell out. They began sorting through them.

"No, look at these two. They both mention the room 217." Lydia said pointing to two different articles. "These are probably all the suicides that happened in this room."

"So if every room has a Bible…" Allison began.

"There could be articles in all the rooms." Lydia finished.

"That's a beautiful thing. Most places leave a mint under the pillow. This one leaves a record of all the horrible deaths that occurred." Stiles said.

"What if the room next door has the one about the couple?" Lydia asked, thinking back to what she had heard earlier. They all turned to the door before Stiles ran over to it, opened it and went next door. Both girls followed after him as he got to the door. He tried to turn the handle but it was locked now. "No, that was not locked before."

"Forget it. We need to get Scott, Isaac, Boyd, and Sophia out of here." Allison said to them. As they turned to leave, the sound of a power tool kicked on in the room. They all stopped, looking at the door.

"I'm not the only one who heard that, am I?" Lydia asked.

"It sounds like someone turned the handsaw on." Allison said.

"Handsaw?" Stiles questioned when he ran back over to the girls. Stiles backed up against the railing before ramming it with his shoulder, causing the door to pop open. They ran in and saw Ethan standing there with the handsaw.

"Hey, no, Ethan, don't!" Stiles yelled to the Alpha. Ethan was about to touch the saw to his stomach when Stiles ran forward and tried to grab it from him. They struggled before Lydia unplugged it. Ethan then let his claws drop, getting ready to tear into himself again. Stiles and Allison each grabbed an arm, trying to keep the Alpha from hurting himself. They struggled for a moment before Ethan lost his balance, falling on the heater. They could hear the sizzling of his skin before he fell to the floor, letting out a small scream. He looked at them all in shock as he stood up.

"What just happened?" He asked. He stood there for a moment before he tried to leave.

"Ethan!" Stiles called after the boy.

**XXX**

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Ethan asked as the three of them followed him down the stairs. "I don't know how I got there or what I was doing."

"Okay, you could be a little more helpful, you know?" Stiles said from where he was walking directly behind Ethan. "We did just save your life."

"And you probably shouldn't have." Ethan said as he walked backwards towards the room he and Danny were sharing.

"What now?" Lydia asked.

"I'll find Scott." Allison said. "You guys grab Isaac, Boyd, and Sophia. The best thing we can do is get them out of this place." They all made their way up the stairs to find the other three werewolves.

**XXX**

Sophia groaned again as she pushed Max's hand away from her side, her claws cut in deep. She had no control of her claws, no matter how hard she tried but that didn't stop her from pushing him away every time she felt him touch her. She had large, deep gashes on her sides, stomach, arms, and thighs from where she cut into herself. The blood was beginning to pool around her feet, the wounds never getting the chance to fully heal before she cuts into them again. She stumbled before falling to her knees, suddenly lightheaded.

"That's it Sophie, just go to sleep." He said, running his fingers through her hair. She tried to move but she didn't have the strength. "Just sleep… it'll be over soon." Slowly, her eyes drifted shut before she fell onto her side. She felt the blood pouring from the wounds before she fell into unconsciousness.

**XXX**

"I can't find Scott anywhere." Allison said as she met back up with Stiles and Lydia.

"I can't find Sophia either." Stiles said as they made their way down the stairs. He stopped about halfway down. "Did she tell you guys where she was going?" He asked, turning to look at the girls.

"She said she was going back to her room. She said she was going to get a pair of shoes." Lydia said. Stiles stood there for a moment, trying to remember which room was hers before he ran back up the stairs, coming to room 201. He turned the doorknob, it was unlocked. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Sophia lying in a pool of blood.

"Sophie!" He said, running over to her. He touched her shoulder and she was awake in an instant, crawling away from Stiles and cutting her claws into her shoulder where he'd touched her. She groaned and whimpered but that didn't stop her from cutting her shoulder again. The three of them were shocked. "Sophie?" Stiles asked again. The redhead curled into a ball, tears running down her face and mixing with the blood.

"Leave me alone Max… please leave me alone." Stiles looked back at the others.

"Her ex-boyfriend Max… the one she took the Alpha powers from." He explained when he saw the confusion on their faces. He held his hand out for the flare Lydia was holding. She quickly lit it before putting it into Stiles' hand. "Sophia… please don't kill me." He said before taking the end of the flare and pressing it against her side. Her eyes snapped open, turning Alpha red before she roared, moving away from the flare. She panted as she leaned back against the dresser, looking at the three of them. She looked down at her body and then her claws.

"What the hell is happening?" She asked, leaning her head back.

"We don't know but hopefully…" Stiles looked down at the flare in his hands. "It's over."

"How is everyone else?" She asked.

"Ethan, Boyd, and Isaac are fine. We can't find Scott."

"Go find him. I'm okay. The flare triggered my healing." She said, closing her eyes.

"Are you sure?" Allison asked and Sophia looked up at her nodding.

"Yeah, go." The three nodded before making their way out of the room and down to the bus to get the last flare.

**XXX**

Sophia opened her eyes when Boyd came into the room. He was shocked by what he saw, all of the blood and the almost healed wounds on Sophia. She chuckled humorlessly. "I think we all had a rough night." The Beta nodded before kneeling down, wrapping arm around her back and her knees before lifting her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck without question. He grabbed her bag.

"Did you unpack anything?" He asked and she shook her head.

"No, everything is in the bag." She said and he nodded, walking out the door, closing it behind him before making his way towards the bus. When they stepped onto it, Isaac, Scott, Lydia, Allison, and Stiles were waiting for them. She smiled at everyone as Boyd walked towards the back of the bus and sat her down beside Isaac.

"Should we be worried about the large amount of blood that Sophia left?" Stiles asked, turning to look at her. Sophia shook her head.

"It'll just be another suicide to add to their collection." She said with a small smile. The boy rolled his eyes before settling in for the night. Sophia looked at Isaac before crawling over him so that she was sitting by the window. She turned and held her arms out, a moment later; Isaac was laying over her, the pair settling in for a hopefully decent sleep.

**XXX**

When morning came, everyone was still on the bus where they had been that night. Lydia and Allison were sitting up together in a seat near the middle. Stiles was across from them, by himself but sitting up as well. Scott was one seat ahead of him, his legs stretched out on the seat but he was propped up against the wall behind him. Boyd was in a similar position, like Scott, almost all the way in the back of the bus. Isaac and Sophia were across from him. Sophia was lying on her back on the seat (propped like Scott and Boyd) while Isaac lay on top of her. His head was on her chest and his arms loosely wrapped around her torso. Her arms were around his shoulders and their legs were tangled together. "I don't want to know. I really don't want to know." Finstock said when he entered the bus, causing them all to stir. "But in case you missed the announcement, the meet's canceled, so we're heading home. Pack it in! Pack it in!" Sophia sighed.

"Yes." She whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Isaac's head as he began to wake up. They were tangled together like a pretzel but it that was what it took to make Isaac comfortable enough to sleep peacefully at night, she would do it. She glanced up at Boyd, who nodded and gave her a small, grateful smile. She gave him a small smile back before yawning. Isaac sat up, stretching and offering Sophia a small smile of her own. She looked forward as everyone loaded onto the bus and noticed that Ethan was sitting with Scott. She wanted to listen in but she didn't really want to put any effort forth to do it. She looked down at her arms, they were completely healed. She had even managed to change her clothes in the motel room before Boyd came to get her.

Sophia watched as Coach came back to talk to Ethan but before he could get back there, Lydia stood up and grabbed his whistle. She sat down across from Stiles and Scott, cupping her hand around it before blowing. She looked at her hand before showing it to them. Sophia tuned in now.

_Wolfsbane. _That explained everything. Sophia watched as Stiles grabbed the whistle from Lydia and threw it out the window. Coach, of course, yelled at him once more before the bus started to move. Sophia sighed and leaned her head back against the seat, closing her eyes. She didn't open her eyes but she did smile when Isaac leaned his head onto her shoulder, settling in to sleep some more.


	30. Currents

**A/N: Sorry I haven't been updating, every time I try to take the time to write, something comes up! I'm trying to update every Monday but as you see, that isn't working… So, I'm going to try to start doing Mondays! I missed two Mondays so there will be two chapters this week! Please don't forget to review, fave, and follow! It means a lot to me! :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia had gotten an extra class to help her transcripts along; she was now a TA for a Ms. Jennifer Blake. From what Scott and Stiles had told her she seemed like a nice lady and she would be in the same class as them so she asked and she got the "job". It wasn't too bad, just grading some papers while she taught and helping her with potential lesson plans. Sophia mostly sat at her desk until the woman needed her to run and errand or something. Ms. Blake came in and dropped a book on her desk in front of Sophia, gaining the students attention. "Good morning." She said and Sophia glanced up at her before turning back to what she was doing.

The redhead paused and took in a deep breath. There was a lingering scent in the air now. Pine trees and leather… She glanced around the room; there was no way Derek was here. She looked back up at the woman standing at the farthest corner of the desk. The girl pretended to reach out for a highlighter, causing her to lean towards the woman. She took in another deep breath before she sat fully down in her seat again. "As you all know, Mr. Harris is still missing. I mean, sick. Anyway, I'm filling in while we all hope and pray for a more qualified substitute to take my place. Okay. So let's get started, shall we?" She walked towards the blackboard to begin the lesson. Sophia watched her closely before Scott bending down behind his desk caught her attention. She listened in at the last moment, catching Deaton saying that he was going to be taken and that Scott was his only hope before he hung up. At least Deaton gave us a warning.

**XXX**

After class, Scott left to go to the Clinic while Stiles called his dad. Sophia packed up her stuff before Jennifer came over to stand beside her. "Thank you so much for doing this. It makes it a lot easier on me." She said and Sophia offered her a small smile.

"It's okay; I needed something different on my transcripts. Besides, you're not having me do anything too difficult." Sophia said, putting the bag over her shoulder.

"I know, I could just use the help until Harris gets back." She said and moved around Sophia to sit down. Again, Sophia caught the scent. She looked at Jennifer before shaking her head and turning to leave with a goodbye to the woman. She got into her car and made a quick decision to check on Derek. She drove the few minutes to the loft before getting out and walking up the steps. When she slid the door open, the loft was flooded with water. She looked up, seeing Derek, Boyd, and Isaac looking at her from a piece of concrete not submerged in water.

"What…?" She asked, motioning to the water.

"His plan to protect Derek." Isaac said, pointing over to Boyd. Sophia nodded her head slightly.

"Right… don't think I wanna touch that then." She said, following the line of unsubmerged concrete until she was just beside the boys. She jumped over the water to land beside Isaac. She turned to the three of them. "So, what's the plan?" She asked.

Boyd explained that while he and Erica had been kidnapped by Gerard, he had them strung up with electricity to keep them shifting. He thought that, on a bigger scale, could tell them. So they rigged the wires that he'd brought so that there was a constant stream of electricity coming through into the water. She nodded her head at the explanation. "Good plan. I like that. I just don't to be shocked." She took in a deep breath, smelling everything around her and the faint smell of something new but familiar. She glanced around again, trying to remember where she had smelled it before. Another deep breath and she remembered, Jennifer was wearing that same kind of perfume… but what was it doing here at the loft? Derek walked past her to go to the other side of the room and when he did, she caught the perfume smell even stronger. Before Sophia could say anything to the bigger Alpha, Boyd turned on the lights and threw the wires he'd brought into the water. The four werewolves watched as the water cracked with electricity before settling still.

"Is this gonna kill him?" Isaac asked, motioning to the water.

"I hope so." Boyd said from where he was kneeling.

"If it doesn't, they're in for a shock." Sophia said but couldn't help the small smirk that graced her features. Boyd and Isaac chuckled softly and Derek rolled his eyes.

"I'm so dead." He muttered before stepping away from them.

**XXX**

Sophia had been at the loft all day with the three boys, sitting on platforms that were surrounded by the electrified water. At some point, Sophia had begun playing _I Spy _with Boyd and Isaac (much to Derek's hatred) before they eventually all just settled back against the walls and waited. Sophia closed her eyes and just took in the fact that everyone was so quiet.

"Isn't the light supposed to be on?" Isaac asked, causing Sophia to open her eyes and look at him. He was pointing to the alarm that Derek had hooked up in the loft. She saw that the light wasn't on, it was always on.

"Yeah." Derek said, realizing the same thing.

"What does it mean if it's not?" Isaac asked again.

"Someone cut the auxiliary power." Derek said and Sophia used the wall to help her stand, her bare feet causing her to shiver on the cold ground, sitting around in heels was no fun so she had taken her shoes off.

"What about the main…" Boyd didn't even finish his sentence before they could hear the generator powering down. Both boys jumped up and looked out towards the main door. She looked behind her when she heard a small splash. Derek was stepping into the water and wasn't getting shocked. With no electricity the water was no longer charged. The redhead took in a deep breath before stepping off of her platform, shivering slightly at the cold water on her feet. She followed Derek into the center of the room, facing the door.

"Derek. Sophia." Isaac called after the two Alphas. "What do we do now?"

"We fight." Derek said, his and Sophia's eyes both glowing Alpha red. Suddenly, there was a pounding on the door before the lock broke and the door was slid open, Kali standing on the other side. Sophia growled slightly before she took a small step in front of Derek, Isaac, and Boyd (who had just joined their sides), before allowing her Beta form to take over.

"Gonna be honest, Derek." Kali said as she walked deeper into the loft. "When Ennis died, I thought to myself I'd just go for it. Find you and kill you, wherever you stood. Then I remembered how you surround yourself with these teenagers, hiding behind them, and I thought, _'what's a girl got to do to get you alone?'_" She turned to the door and the twins came into view with a woman. Jennifer Blake, Sophia realized. Sophia growled feeling… jealous? They were using her to get to Derek? What the hell had happened while Sophia was on that _cross country/try not to commit suicide in a sleazy hotel_ trip? "You and me, Derek, or they tear her apart." Kali said to the Alpha behind Sophia as she turned back around to face them. "What do you say? You think you can beat me one-on-one?" Sophia looked over her shoulder; Derek had nudged his head to the side, telling the three of them to leave.

"Sophia." He said to her but Sophia turned back to Kali.

"Better do what he says Sophie… or… maybe you want them to tear her apart." Kali said, stepping closer to the she-wolf. Sophia growled, baring her fangs. "I can smell the jealousy rolling off of you in waves." Kali said quietly and Sophia was pretty sure no one, not even Derek, had heard what she said. "And of course," She began speaking louder, "I'm sure you're still upset about your only boyfriend trying to kill you. Honestly sweetheart, that wasn't Duke's plan. That was all Max's." Sophia growled even louder and Kali chuckled.

"Sophia, get back." Derek's voice said somewhere in her mind.

"Maybe… I should just kill you." Kali said, standing directly in front of Sophia now. The room had fallen silent, even Sophia's growls had stopped. Kali was about two inches taller than Sophia but that didn't bother the younger she-wolf. When neither of them made a move, Kali chuckled and began backing up to where she had been standing originally. Sophia was about to follow her when an arm wrapped around her waist before she was thrown over someone's shoulder. Sophia tried not to squeak as she was carried off to the side, looking around the boy, she saw Isaac waiting for them which meant Boyd had picked her up. He set her on her feet next to Isaac before moving to stand on her other side.

"Very nice." Isaac whispered and she shook her head softly, a small smile on her face as she shifted out of her Beta form.

"I'm gonna rip your throat out with my teeth." Derek said and Sophia tried not to chuckle. She remembered when he had said that to Stiles almost a year ago… and it still had the same response it had all that time ago. She shivered as they growled and roared at each other, the fight had begun.

**XXX**

Watching Derek fight Kali alone was one of the hardest things Sophia's had to do. Jennifer screamed as Kali landed some decisive blows and Isaac made a move towards the twins. "No!" Derek yelled to them when he noticed. Isaac stopped and looked back at Boyd and Sophia, yelling at them to wait. They watched the fight go on, knowing that Derek wouldn't accept the help when she heard a phone buzzing. Isaac pulled it out of his pocket, looking down at the text. Isaac made a break for Jennifer while Boyd went to help Derek. Sophia was just about to step off the platform when suddenly, the water became recharged. The she-wolf jumped back as Kali, Derek, and Boyd were shocked. She glanced over at the doorway; Isaac had managed to get to Jennifer though. All three werewolves fell to the ground but Kali was quick to get back up.

"Take him!" She yelled to Ethan and Aiden, who ran over to her. When she saw them jump into the water and not get shocked she took a deep breath, allowing her Beta form to take over before she jumped into the water. She ran towards Derek and Boyd but before she could make it over to them, Kali had lifted Boyd and dropped him right onto Derek's extended claws that Ethan and Aiden were holding still.

"NO!" She screamed, falling to her knees in the water. Suddenly, everything went silent.

"I'm giving you till the next full moon, Derek." Kali said as the three Alphas left. "Make the smart choice. Join the pack. Or next time I'm killing all of you." Sophia crawled over to Derek and Boyd, not caring if she became soaking wet. She came up to Derek's side, a hand on Boyd's shoulder. Derek was panting, talking softly to Boyd as he tried to stop the bleeding. Sophia placed her hands over the Alphas, trying to hopefully, apply more pressure.

"It's okay." Boyd said weakly.

"No, no, no. It's not. It's not." Derek said, distraught at the thought of losing another one of his betas by his own hand.

"It's all okay, Derek." Boyd said again. Derek looked up at Boyd's face, floundering a few times with what he wanted to say before he found it.

"I'm sorry." He said, Sophia pressed her hands harder on top of Derek's.

"The full moon. That feeling. It was worth it." Boyd said to the Alpha and Sophia could feel the tears running down her face. "Did you know it was the lunar eclipse? I always wondered what… What that felt like for one of us. For a werewolf." Boyd fell backwards into the water, leaving Sophia and Derek's hands where the beta had been kneeling. A moment later, Cora and Stiles appeared in the doorway. Cora ran to Boyd while Stiles came over to Sophia and Derek. Cora began crying and it made Sophia cry harder. She leaned her head into Derek's shoulder, wrapping her arms around the Alpha's torso. One of his arms weakly came around her, holding her to him as she cried. Stiles placed a hand on Derek's other shoulder, offering comfort. Sophia could feel Derek's hands shaking against her back. Sophia held the Alpha tighter, it was the only thing she felt she could do at this point.


	31. Truth Revealed

**A/N: This is pretty much all of my own writing, it doesn't have anything to do with the series itself, it's more of a filler but please review, fave, and follow to let me know what you think! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia sighed as she walked inside the house, dropping the bag down by the door. "Oh, you're home?" Her mom asked as she came around the corner, drying her hands on a dishtowel. Sophia looked and he mother looked surprised, Sophia knew she looked depressed and she was still soaking wet. "Sweetie? What's wrong?" She asked as she came over to her, cradling her head in her hands. Sophia sniffled, shaking her head and moving away from her mother.

"It's nothing… don't worry about it." Sophia moved into the living room, her father must've seen the same thing.

"Sophie…" She sat down on the couch, putting her head in her hands. She probably should have been worried about the fact that she was soaking the couch as well but at the moment, she couldn't bring herself to care.

"It's been a rough week." She said, she so wanted to tell her parents about everything. They had no idea when they adopted her that she was a werewolf. They had no idea what they were getting into when they decided to make Beacon Hills their home. She wanted to tell them so they understood everything.

"Sophie… we're worried about you. You skipped so many classes last year and you got grounded for the first time, you got a restraining order!" Her mother, Judy, said as she sat down beside her. "I know you've been doing well in school now but…" Sophia sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"Things have been… crazy." The redhead said, still not looking at either one of her parents.

"Tell us about it." Her father, Matthew, came to sit on the coffee in front of her and her mother. Sophia took in a deep breath, finally looking between them.

"If I tell you… you have to swear to never tell anyone. Ever." Her parents glanced at each other before looking back at Sophia and nodded. "You have to swear to me." Sophia said, completely serious.

"We swear." They both said. Sophia nodded, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath and let her eyes shine Alpha red. Her parents gasped in surprise. Sophia tilted her head slightly before letting her eyes fade back to emerald.

"What…?" Judy asked and Sophia just watched them for a moment.

"You're not gonna scream… runaway… you know… call the cops or anything…" Sophia said, unsure. Her parents shook their heads.

"No… never." Judy said, gently holding her hand.

"So… what are you?" Matthew asked and she looked up at him before looking back down at her lap. That's as good a place as any to start.

"I'm a werewolf." She said, still expecting her parents to scream or something. There was a good minute or so of silence, which felt like hours to Sophia, before one of them spoke.

"How do you become one?" Judy asked.

"Well, there are a couple of ways. A bite from an Alpha, a deep enough scratch, or you can be born this way. I was born this way." Sophia answered.

"So when we adopted you…" Matthew trailed off.

"I was a werewolf." She said quietly.

"Do you know who your parents were?" Judy asked, her thumb rubbing the back of Sophia's hand. The girl see-sawed her head slightly, making a soft noise in the back of her throat.

"I did some research; there is a pack of werewolves in Colorado in the same area you found me in. I haven't been able to go to the pack themselves but from what I understand, my parents were Betas from that particular pack. A werewolf hierarchy is very much like a regular wolf-pack. An Alpha is in charge, then there are Betas in a pack. Most modern packs take on a more modern hierarchy but I think the pack that my parents came from had a more… dated kind. The Alpha pair were the only ones that were allowed to have children. So when my mother got pregnant, the Alpha banned the two of them. Omegas, a werewolf without a pack, don't live long on their own. Hunters are people who hunt us for whatever the reason… My parents were able to hide me before they were captured and killed by Hunters. You found me shortly after that." Sophia explained to them before she looked up at them.

"And we moved here." Matthew said and she nodded.

"The Hale pack were also werewolves." Sophia added. "That's why I spent so much time with them. A young werewolf needs the pack to help them learn control and to do all the things werewolves need to learn. That's why I spent so much time with them. They taught me everything I know… before the fire."

"I'm sure that there are a lot of things that come with knowing about werewolves but what are some of the major things that we should expect?" Judy asked her daughter, trying to get her mind off of the Hale Pack.

"Well, you've seen my eyes. We get claws and fangs as well and I have what is called a Beta form, which I'm sure you'll see one day. All of my senses are heightened and I can heal at a supernatural rate." Sophia explained and they nodded. "There are three types of werewolves. You have Alpha, Betas, and Omegas like I said earlier. Omegas are the lone wolves, Betas are what a pack completely consists of, and Alphas run the pack, protect pack mates, and the territory. Wolves can jump ranks. A Beta can become and Alpha and Omega, an Omega can jump to an Alpha or a Beta, even an Alpha can fall to a Beta or Omega." They both nodded silently, trying to take everything in.

"Do you have a pack?" Matthew asked and Sophia nodded her head. "Well?" He asked expectantly, smiling slightly at her so that she would continue.

"Well, Derek Hale and I are Alphas. Scott McCall, Cora Hale, Peter Hale, and Isaac Lahey are the betas. We even have some added members in the form of Stiles Stilinski, Lydia Martin, and Allison Argent." Sophia's expression visibly dropped. "We lost two members recently, Erica Reyes and Vernon Boyd."

"I'm sorry." Judy said, wrapping her arm around Sophia's shoulders.

"How many Hales are back?" Matthew asked.

"Three. Derek, Cora, and Peter." She said, smiling slightly.

"Wait? Scott's an werewolf?" Judy asked. Sophia nodded.

"It's a long, complicated story but it was because of Peter when he was crazy… " Her parents looked at each other before turning back to their daughter. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys about this right away. Things have been crazy with trying to help Scott adjust to being a werewolf and trying not to get killed in the process."

"We understand and thank you for telling us." Judy said, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

"When do we get to know the rest of the story?" Matthew asked.

"Soon hopefully… I just kinda want to go to bed and get some rest." Sophia said and her parents nodded their heads.

"Alright. There will be some dinner in the microwave when you're ready." Matthew said as he stood up and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Thank you." She said before she got up and made her way up the stairs to change. She jumped in surprise when she saw Derek sitting on her bed. "Seriously? I'm going to get a bell for you." She said as she grabbed her pajamas from her drawer.

"Is it alright if I stay here? I…" Derek began. She nodded her head.

"You don't want to be alone. I get it… neither do I." She stepped into her bathroom to change before coming back into the room. Derek was standing there awkwardly in the middle of the room. She rolled her eyes before getting into the bed and holding up the covers for him. "You coming in or what?" His brow furrowed before he shed his jacket, boots, and jeans until he was left in his T-Shirt and boxers. He slid into the bed and looked at Sophia as she settled down to get comfortable.

"Thank you." He said softly, placing his hand over Sophia's. She looked into his hazel eyes before nodding, grabbing his hand and lacing their fingers together.

"You're welcome." She shifted closer, resting her forehead on Derek's collarbone. He tilted her head down pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. It was so soft; Sophia thought she'd imagined it.

"What's going on between you and Jennifer?" Sophia asked quietly without opening her eyes.

"I'll tell you later. Let's get some rest." Derek said, sounding almost half asleep already. Sophia wanted to know now but she didn't want to push Derek hard, he would revert back into his shell and Sophia was starting to like this new Derek. She scooted a little closer before closing her eyes and letting sleep take her.


	32. The Girl Who Knew Too Much

**A/N: Actually updating on time, lol! Hopefully this will start being a thing! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please don't forget to fave, follow, and review! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia's Challenger roared as she pulled into the parking lot of the school, just behind Stiles in the powder blue Jeep and Scott on his dirt bike. She got out of the car, locking it was she walked over to her boys. "Where is she?" Stiles asked as he got out of the Jeep.

"Over here." Lydia called for them. The three of them ran over to Allison and Lydia.

"Lydia?" Stiles asked.

"It's the same thing." She answered. "Same thing as the pool. I got into the car heading somewhere totally different and ended up here. And you told me to call you if there's a dead body."

"You found a dead body?" Stiles asked, looking over at Sophia and Scott.

"Not yet." She answered again.

"_Not yet_? What do you mean _not yet?_" He asked her again. "You're supposed to call us after you find the dead body."

"No, I'm not doing that again. You find the dead body from now on." Lydia said to him seriously.

"How are we supposed to find the dead body?" Stiles asked. "You're always the one finding the dead body."

"Guys. I found the dead body." Scott said, taking a few steps off to the side.

"Why is it a _dead_ body? It's a body; we can assume it's dead…" Sophia said to them as she walked over to stand beside Scott. One of the Sherriff's deputy's was lying on the BHHS sign, blood pouring down and painting the sign red.

**XXX**

School continued on the next day even though an investigation was going on. Sophia walked into Jennifer's class and sat behind her desk, grabbing some papers to begin grading. There were no students in the class and the woman tried to make small talk, Sophia answered with noises and maybe one word at a time. She wasn't up to talking to the woman. On the other hand, they refused to talk about what happened the night Boyd died and for that, Sophia was grateful.

When the bell rang, students began coming in, including Scott, Stiles, and Lydia. While Jennifer was distracted, Sophia watched the woman. Every time she looked at her she could feel the jealousy (and yes, Sophia finally admitted to herself that she was jealous of whatever relationship Derek and Jennifer had) bubbling up inside her. She didn't like the woman… didn't trust her. Of course, if she were to voice these concerns to the other Alpha, he would dismiss them as simple, teenage emotion (which, Sophia is a teenager but her feelings of jealousy didn't have much to do with her not trusting the woman… much).

Sophia nodded to Scott and Stiles as they sat down in their seats. The late bell rang and Jennifer began walking around the class, in between the desks as she taught. "Idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes, all tools the writer uses to tell their story. Lydia, I wasn't aware you had so many hidden talents." The woman said as she stopped beside Lydia. Sophia glanced up from the paper she was grading before turning back to it. She didn't know what Lydia was doing.

"You and every guy I've ever dated." Lydia said and Sophia choked on air, coughing and laughing at the same time.

"Well, that was an idiom, by the way." Jennifer said, trying to recover from that. Sophia was finally able to breathe, a few giggles here and there as she continued grading. "Idioms are something of a secret to the people who know the language or the culture." She stopped in front of Scott and Stiles, looking at them directly. Sophia's brow furrowed. "They're phrases that only make sense if you know key words. Saying 'jump the gun' is meaningful only if you know about the starting gun in a race or a phrase like 'seeing the whole board.'"

"Like chess." Stiles mumbled.

"That's right, Stiles." Jennifer said to him. "Do you play?"

"No, my father does." She smiled at him before turning to continue.

"Now, when does an idiom become a cliché?" Jennifer asked and Sophia went back to grading. She saw Scott lean over to Stiles so she listened in. Scott glanced at her and she nodded her head softly, letting him know she was listening.

"I think I can get to Ethan." Scott said Stiles in a whisper. "I'm pretty sure I can make him talk."

"What do you want to do that for?" Stiles asked.

"The Druids are emissaries, right? So what if the Darach was an emissary for the Alphas."

"Okay, first of all, I cannot believe that we've gotten to the point where a sentence like _'What if the Darach was an emissary for the Alphas?'_ actually makes sense to me. Second of all, we're gonna have a huge problem getting to Ethan."

"What's that?"

"Going through Aiden. Ever since he's been back at school, they're always together. How are we gonna separate them again?" Scott looked like he had an idea as they both turned to Lydia. Sophia wanted to laugh but she bit her lip and held it in.

"What now?" She asked.

**XXX**

"Why are you even talking to me? I helped kill your friend." Ethan said once Stiles, Sophia, and Scott had gotten him alone in the hallway. "How do you know I'm not gonna kill another one?" Ethan asked, looking between the three of them, his eyes linger on Stiles.

"Is he looking at me? Are you threatening me? You know what I'm gonna do? I'm going to break off an extra-large branch of Mountain Ash, wrap it in wolfsbane, roll it in mistletoe, and shove it up your freaking…" Stiles went off on a rant. Sophia pushed a hand over his mouth before he could continue.

"Okay, we get it." Sophia said, gently pushing the boy back with a hand on his chest and another on his mouth.

"We're talking to you because I know you didn't want to kill Boyd. And I think that if something like that happened now, you wouldn't do it again." Scott continued talking to Ethan.

"You don't know what we owe them, especially Deucalion. We weren't like Kali and Ennis when we met him. We weren't Alphas." Ethan explained.

"What were you?" Sophia asked.

"Omegas." Ethan said. "In an actual wolf packs, Omegas are the scapegoat, the last to eat, the one who has to take the abuse from the rest of the pack."

"So you and your brother were, like, the bitches of the pack?" Stiles asked and Sophia rolled her eyes.

"Something like that." Ethan answered, eyeing Stiles.

"What happened?" Scott prodded.

"They were killers. I mean, people talk about us as monsters. Well, they were the ones who gave us the reputation. And our Alpha was the worst of them."

"Why didn't you guys just fight back?" Stiles asked again. "Form Voltron Wolf, you know? Kick everyone's asses?"

"We couldn't, we didn't know how to control it back then." Ethan said, becoming angry.

"Calm down. You're fine." Sophia said softly, watching the other Alpha.

"Deucalion taught you." Scott supplied.

"And then, we fought. We took down the whole pack, one-by-one. And by the time we got to our Alpha, he was begging for his life. And we tore him apart. Literally." Ethan explained, beginning to bounce on his toes.

"What about your emissary?" Scott asked, curious. "They're all dead? Kali and Ennis' too?"

"All of them except for Deucalion's."

"You mean Morell?" Stiles asked. Ethan gasped, grabbing at his chest. Sophia stepped forward, holding her hands out, unsure if she should touch the other Alpha or not.

"What? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Scott asked.

"Not me. My brother."

**XXX**

Sophia, Scott, Stiles, and Ethan ran into the locker room to find Aiden about to hit Cora with a 45 lbs weight. Scott, Ethan, and Sophia grabbed Aiden while Stiles ran over to Cora and Lydia. They managed to wrestle the weight away from the Alpha. "Aiden, you can't do this!" Ethan yelled to his twin.

"She came at me!" He yelled, his fangs still bared.

"It doesn't matter!" Ethan yelled back. "Kali gave Derek until the next full moon. You can't touch him or her." The room was silent except for Cora's groan. Ethan nodded at Sophia and Scott before pulling Aiden along behind him.

"Hey guys, I think she's pretty hurt." Stiles said softly.

**XXX**

"You okay?" Scott asked Cora. Sophia gently dabbed the wet cloth against the spot on her head where Aiden at hit her with the weight.

"She doesn't look okay." Lydia said. Cora rolled her eyes, gently pushing Sophia's hands away.

"I'll heal." She said, stepping back. She swayed slightly and Stiles tried to catch her. She shrugged him off. "I said I'm fine."

"Do you realize how suicidally crazy that was? What were you thinking going after them?" Stiles asked her.

"I did it for Boyd." She said, turning to them. "None of you were doing anything." She said, glaring at each of them.

"We're trying." Scott said softly.

"And you're failing." Cora said. "You're just a bunch of stupid teenagers running around, thinking that you can stop people from getting killed. But all you do is show up late. All you really do is find the bodies." Cora walked away from them.

"She's definitely a Hale." Stiles said. "I'll make sure she gets home." Stiles said, following after her. Sophia sighed and ran her fingers through her hair before looking at her phone.

"I'm done for the day. I'm gonna head home. I got some college applications to fill out. Call me if you need me." Sophia said, waving to Lydia and Scott as she walked out. They both waved back as she walked out of the locker room.

**XXX**

She was almost to her car when she saw Jennifer running. Against the she-wolf's better judgment, she followed her at a distance, hiding behind the support pillar of the overpass and peeking around the corner. She watched as the woman jumped into someone's arms and Sophia hoped and prayed that it wasn't who she thought it was. She was placed back on her feet and then kissed the person and Sophia saw, easily, that it was Derek. Sophia let out a deep breath through her nose, leaning her head against the concrete corner. They pulled away and Sophia listened closely.

"Where the hell have you been?" Jennifer asked him. "Don't say that you needed to be alone for a while because that is the single worst excuse ever." Derek remained silent, just holding her close. "Oh." She said when she realized. Sophia snorted softly. "God, I'm sorry." She apologized. "You really needed to be alone, didn't you?"

"I'm here now." He said. "And you were safe. Trust me."

"I haven't felt safe, partially because the evil twins are walking around school like nothing happened."

"They're not gonna hurt you." The bell rang and they both looked up. Jennifer sighed.

"Some days I just wanna take a sledgehammer to that bell." Sophia glanced around before turning back. Derek was smiling. Sophia blinked, her vision getting fuzzy and her heart hurt.

"Why don't you just come back with me?" He asked, looking down at her.

"I can't." She whined. "I've got three more classes and I put this recital together tonight. I organized it to honor the losses at the school, and now, it just sounds really stupid, doesn't it?"

"No. It sounds perfect." Sophia rolled her eyes and knocked her head against the concrete, wincing at the pain that shot through her head. They kissed again before Jennifer walked back towards the school. Sophia hid against the wall as she walked by, praying that she didn't see her. When Jennifer was gone, she peeked around to see if Derek was still there. He wasn't but she knew he wasn't too far. She slid down the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her forehead against them. She didn't feel like doing anything but lying in bed. She took in a deep breath, listening to the shakiness of it. When had her feelings for Derek gotten this damn strong? With another big breath, the redhead got up and made her way towards her car.

**XXX**

Sophia got a text from Stiles, telling her that he was going to tell his dad. She texted him back good luck but continued to head home. She just… didn't want to deal with all of that. She wanted to get into bed, pull the blankets over her head and just forget this craziness for a while. When she got home, both of her parent's cars were gone. She pulled into her space, getting out and locking the doors as she came up to the front door. She unlocked it and went inside, turning to close and lock the door behind her before going up the stairs and directly to her bedroom. She fell face first on her bed, wondering briefly how long it would take a werewolf to suffocate. Deciding that it would be a too slow way to go, she eventually turned her head to the side so that she could breathe.

**XXX**

A couple hours later, Sophia jumped awake when he phone began vibrating on her night stand. She had gotten up shortly after she'd gotten home, changed into a pair of pajamas, made some food, and began work on everything she needed to do. She looked out the window and saw that it was dark outside, turning back to her bed; all of her homework, college applications, and financial aid paperwork were strewn out all over. She rubbed her eyes before grabbing her phone, 42 missed calls and 17 texts. She checked the calls first, from Derek, Scott, Stiles, Lydia, and Allison. The texts were from the same people. Derek's text said that Cora was in the hospital and that he was with her if anyone needed him. The others were telling Sophia to come to the recital that Jennifer had organized. She licked her lips before going through all of the texts.

_**From Scotty (3:24 pm)**_

_**The group this time is philosophers. Both were teachers. The third will be a teacher and they will all be at the recital.**_

_**From Scotty (3:35 pm)**_

_**We could really use your help.**_

_**From Lydia (4:03 pm)**_

_**I don't know why you aren't answering Scott but you need to come to the recital, we need you here.**_

_**From Danno (5:23 pm)**_

_**Are you coming to the recital? I'll be performing in the band, I was just curious if you were coming.**_

Sophia sighed at Danny's message. He didn't know what was going on. He just wanted his best friend to be at something for him and for the people they lost. For Boyd and Erica. Sophia sighed and walked over to her closet, pulling out one of the clothes bag that was hanging up. Inside was a pair of nicely pressed black slacks and a navy blue button down three-quarters sleeve shirt. She put it on quickly, grabbing a pair of black stilettos and putting those on too. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, deciding to leave her hair down and put on the minimal amount of make up before she got into her car and drove to the school.

**XXX**

She walked into the room just as the band began playing a sombering orchestration. She stood in the back since most of the seats were full, she had no idea where Scott or Lydia was but that was probably for the best. The recital was actually really nice and well put together, Jennifer had done that right at least. Sophia glanced around; Lydia was nowhere to be found. Then again, neither as Jennifer. Sophia tried not to think anything of it. Quick movement out of the corner of her eyes caused her to look; it was Scott and Stiles, both running outside. Sophia slowly and carefully made her way towards an exit, following Scott and Stiles.

"Sophia?" She heard Scott call her name when she made it outside.

"Hey." She almost fell over from the hugs she received from both boys.

"Where have you been?" Stiles asked.

"I had an emotional breakdown but I'm here now. Let's find Lydia." She said, beginning to look around with her wolf eyes.

"How did you know she was missing?" Scott asked.

"She wasn't anywhere near you in the recital. I figured something had to be up." She turned back to the boys, her search revealing nothing.

"She's not answering texts. What do we do?" Stiles asked, looking up from his phone. "Scott? Sophie?" He asked when neither wolf replied.

Suddenly, this piercing sound caused Scott and Sophia to cover their ears, Scott fell to the ground while Sophia tried to steady herself. When Sophia was able to right herself, she helped Scott up and they ran to where the scream had come from.

**XXX**

Inside Jennifer Blake's room (of course), that was where they found Lydia. She was tapped to a chair with a chord around her neck. Off to the side, Sherriff Stilinski was lying on the ground with a knife in his shoulder. Sophia's eyes changed to red as she heard Scott come up behind her. They growled at the woman before charging her. She easily dodged and repelled Scott's attacks before a hand to the chest sent him flying back into the chairs stacked in the back of the room. Sophia growled as she ducked down to swipe at the woman's legs. Jennifer managed to avoid her attempts before kicking the redhead in the face, her stiletto cutting into Sophia's cheek. She blinked before growling again, standing up to aim at Jennifer's head this time. Like Scott, a simple hand to the chest knocked her out the open door, into the hall, and into the wall… hard. Sophia spit some blood onto the floor as she tried to catch her breath.

She laid her head on the ground before turning it when she saw Stiles coming down the hall; he glanced at her, a look of shock on his face before he turned to look into the classroom. Jennifer easily pushed her desk against the door so that Stiles couldn't get in. He rammed it a couple of times but it was useless.

"Sophia! Help!" Stiles called to her and the girl rolled onto her stomach and spit out a little more blood before she stood up.

"Move." She said, getting a running start (even in stilettos) and rammed the door with her shoulder. She managed to move the desk enough that Stiles was able to slip into the room. Sophia followed him. Lydia was still in the chair, Scott was now up and by standing beside Stiles but Jennifer and the Sherriff were nowhere to be found.


	33. The Overlooked

**A/N: A big thank you to everyone who has stayed with the story so far! I know there hasn't been a lot of Derek/Sophia but after this one, there may be a lot more (hint, hint)! So please stay tuned! And don't forget to fave, follow, and review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

"Derek!" Sophia called when she stepped into the loft. Her heels clicked on the concrete floor as she walked inside, still in her clothes from the recital. The Alpha in question came from around a corner.

"Sophia?" He asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. He wasn't sure she knew he was back, they haven't seen each other since his apparent death.

"We need to talk." She said, walking closer to him, the loft silent except for the rain hitting the windows and the _click, click_ of her heels.

"Alright." He said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Look, you know all of these people being killed? They're sacrificial killings and its Jennifer Blake that is doing it." Derek's eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

"You've got to be kidding me?" He asked, looking up at the ceiling and for a moment Sophia felt a pang of hope that he believed her. "You cannot seriously expect me to believe that." Well… so much for that. She shrugged softly.

"Well… yeah, I kind of did." She said and Derek scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Go home Sophia." He began to turn away.

"NO!" Sophia said, getting in front of him. He growled at her but she kept her face neutral. "I would not have come to you if I didn't think you needed to know this. Derek, she's playing you. The same way Kate did." Derek growled louder.

"You don't know anything!"

"Really? I don't…" She put her hands on her hips. "I don't know that Jennifer tried to sacrifice Lydia during the recital. I don't know that she took Stiles' father for some reason. I was there Derek; I watched it happen with my own eyes. I don't gain anything from lying to you."

"Sophia, from the day we met back in the woods I could smell lust wafting off of you." He said, glaring at her and she tried not to let the heat in her face show. "There could be a lot of reason to lie to me. Nothing is going to happen between us, you're seventeen years old."

"Eighteen." She muttered, focusing on the slightest blip in his heartbeat. Lie.

"Eighteen, whatever." Derek said, rolling his eyes before trying to turn away from her again.

"Derek, you have to trust me!" She began to follow him when he turned around sharply, the girl almost running into the older man.

"I don't have to do anything!" He yelled at her. She flinched back from the anger in the Alpha's voice, his eyes flashing red.

"I know you don't want to believe it… " Derek snorted. "But you have to! Listen to my heartbeat! She did all of this! She knows the Alpha pack and she knows what she's doing! She's the Darach!"

"No, it's not true. I can't make that mistake again." Derek said and Sophia tilted her head.

"What mistake?" She asked before it hit her. "Kate?" Derek looked away from her. His relationship with Kate had killed his family and now, his relationship with Jennifer probably killed his betas and is on its way to killing his sister. "Derek… I know how you feel…" He scoffed again. "Do you know what Max kept asking me when we were dating? When was he going to meet my friends, when were we all going to hang out. He got upset when I told him I didn't know or if they were busy and didn't have time to meet him. Do you know who my friends are? You guys. He wanted me to show him where the loft was so that he could get the Alpha pack here. He never liked me. He just wanted to use me to kill all of you. Like an idiot, I fell for it too because he showed me one once of attention. I understand you a lot better than you think Derek." The other Alpha was watching her now. "I know how much it hurts to think about the people you care about most betraying you but… that's what happened. I know you don't want to hear this about Jennifer but it's true. She tried to kill Lydia, she took Stiles' father, and she did all of the killings." The Alpha watched her silently and Sophia prayed he would believe her.

"How do you know? For sure…" He asked.

"Well, not only did I see her trying to sacrifice Lydia but… this is going to sound weird but you know how people say that dogs know a good person from a bad one." She said, looking over at him. He nodded. "Well, apparently, we have the instinct as well and when I'm around Jennifer, and I am for a whole class period. I get this strange feeling. A feeling that I don't like. She's not a dog person. She's not a good person. You have to believe me." Sophia said to him, turning to look him in the eyes.

**XXX**

It wasn't long after Sophia finished talking to Derek that Scott and Stiles showed up. They began explaining the situation to Derek as well before Sophia could hear someone coming up the stairs. "She's here." She said, grabbing both boys and pulling them off to the side and out of sight.

"Derek?" She called into the quiet loft once she had opened the door. "Derek, where are you?"

"Right here." He answered. She sighed as she changed directions towards him.

"Thank God." She said and they hugged. Sophia bit her lip before noticing Scott looking at her, his nostrils flared.

"Don't worry about it." She said quietly, watching the exchange.

"Something happened at the recital. At the school." She said as she pulled away from him. "Okay, I need to tell you before you hear it, before you hear any of it from them." Too late.

"From who?" Derek asked like he didn't already know.

"Scott, Stiles, and Sophia." Jennifer said. "They're gonna tell you things. Things you can't believe. You have to trust me, okay? You trust me."

"What is it?" He asked.

"Promise you'll listen to me."

"I promise." She leaned forward and kissed him but that must have been what let her know that he knew.

"They're already here, aren't they?" She asked as she pulled away. Derek looked over her shoulder at the three of them as they came into view. "So, they told you it was me? That I'm the one taking people." She asked Derek.

"We told him you're the one killing people." Scott said to her.

"Oh, that's right." She chuckled. "Committing human sacrifices? What, cutting their throats? Yeah, I probably do it on my lunch hour. That way, I can get back to teaching high school English the rest of the day. That makes perfect sense."

"Where's my dad?" Stiles asked, tears in his eyes. Sophia reached over and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together.

"How should I know?" She asked before turning back to Derek, he was watching her closely. "Derek, tell me you don't believe this." The Alpha looked over at them.

"Do you know what happened to Stiles' father?" He asked her, turning his gaze back to the woman.

"No." She shook her head.

"Ask her why she almost killed Lydia." Sophia said, tilting her head slightly.

"Lydia Martin? I don't know anything about that." She tried to deny.

"What do you know?" Derek asked her.

"I know that these kids, for whatever misguided reason, are filling your head with an absurd story. And one they can't prove, by the way." She said to Derek before turning on the three teenagers. Scott held up the jar in his hand.

"What if we can?" He asked.

"What is that?" She asked, seemingly unsure now. Scott starting walking towards her slowly, unscrewing the lid.

"My boss told me it's a poison and a cure, which means you can us it and it can be used against you." He said.

"Mistletoe?" She asked, worried now. Scott threw some of the ground up mistletoe at the woman and she screamed and roared as they got to see what she really looked like as the Darach. Derek looked shocked. Jennifer glanced at him before trying to run; he easily caught her with a hand around her throat. "Derek, wait, wait!" She tried to stop him. Sophia saw his claws come out. "You need me."

"What are you?" He asked, holding her tightly.

"The only person that can save your sister." She said. "Call Peter. Call him!" Stiles glanced at Sophia as she nodded and pulled her phone out. Even though she didn't spend a lot of time with the former Alpha since he'd been back, she was beginning to like the man. He was smart and sassy… and definitely not bad in the looks department. He reminded her of what he was like before the fire. She typed his number in quickly before hitting the call button.

'_Sophia?'_ He asked when he answered the phone.

"Hey Peter, how is Cora?" She asked.

'_It's not good. She's in and out of consciousness. She's vomiting up black blood along with one other alarming substance.' _Peter explained to the girl.

"It's mistletoe, isn't it?" She asked and Peter was silent for a moment.

'_How did you know that?'_ He asked.

"I'll explain later. Thanks Peter." She said before hanging up and putting the phone into her pocket. She looked up and saw Derek looking at her. She nodded her head, letting him know that Jennifer was right. Derek turned his attention back to Jennifer and began squeezing her neck tighter.

"Derek. Derek, what are you doing?" Scott asked the man.

"Her life, it's in my hands!" Jennifer said, trying to get Derek to let her go. The Alpha lifted her into the air by her throat.

"Stop. Derek, stop!" Stiles said, dropping Sophia's hand to walk towards the man.

"Stilinski, you'll never find him." She said, looking at Stiles the best she could. Sophia stepped up.

"Derek, let her go. We can kill her later." Sophia said, her eyes flashing red. He turned to the redhead, watching her for a brief moment before he dropped the woman on the ground, taking a step back from her.

"That's right. You need me." She said, turning to Derek. "All of you." She turned to the teens. Derek looked up at them before locking eyes with Sophia.

**XXX**

Sophia, always thinking ahead (who is she kidding, it was purely luck), changed her slacks into a pair of jeans before they left the loft. She sighed when she realized she didn't have a different shirt. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw something flying towards her. She caught it easily, looking down to see a purple Henley in her hands. She looked up, nodding softly to Derek before slipping out of her other shirt and slipping the Henley on. It was a little big, falling off of one of her shoulders but it was fine. When they left the loft, it was raining even harder than before. She followed behind Derek's Toyota and Stiles' Jeep on their way to the hospital. They pulled up, Sophia parking behind the other two vehicles before they all got out. Sophia ran over to walk beside Scott and Stiles. It was only a matter of seconds since she'd gotten out of the Challenger and she was already soaked.

"What's that?" Scott asked Stiles when he noticed him holding something.

"Well, you two got claws. I got a bat." Sophia couldn't help but chuckle. They started to walk through the hospital before they were stopped by Scott's mom, Sophia was ringing her hair out of she walked.

"What are you doing here? The hospital is evacuating." She asked confused.

"We're here for Cora." He told her.

"What, all of you?" She asked. "Why does Stiles have my bat?" She asked when she noticed the other boy. Stiles looked down at it and Sophia bit her lip to hide a smile.

"Mom, just trust me on this. You need to get out of here." Scott told her. "Right now."

"The building is supposed to be clear in 30 minutes. We've got two ambulances that are coming back. One's ten minutes out, the other's twenty. Cora needs to be on one of those. They'll be picking up in the basement garage." She explained to them.

"Got it." Scott said nodding.

"Okay." Melissa answered. They stepped into the elevator, Derek and Jennifer standing in front of Sophia, Scott, and Stiles, the three teenagers watching the woman closely.

"You don't have to keep me on a leash, Derek. I'm going to help." She said before turning, first she looked at Scott, who was glaring at her, then Sophia, who glanced at her and flashed her eyes before turning back to the elevator wall, and finally Stiles, who was also glaring at her with the baseball bat propped against his shoulder. She shook her head. The elevator dinged before the doors opened. As soon as they walked out, the lights began flashing. Derek looked into the first room on the right side. The teenagers stopped behind them and looking in as well. The room was empty but on the ground at the side of the bed was black blood. There was a drip pattern as well, leaving the room, coming out into the hallway. It continued on in front of them before it disappeared into a set of double doors. There was muffled grunting on the other side before Peter came sliding across the floor. He groaned as he looked up at Derek.

"We got a problem." He said before lifting his head to look back at the door. "Big problem." Of course, on the other side of the doors were the Twins in their combined Alpha form. Derek let his Beta shift take over before running at the bigger Alpha. He rammed his shoulder into the Alphas stomach, pushing him back a few feet before he was elbowed on his back, knocking him to his knees. Derek was back on his feet a moment later but couldn't land any decisive blows. Sophia and Scott let their Beta form take over as well before they ran to help Derek. Scott jumped from the wall, slashing at the Alpha's head while Sophia went for his knees, both missed. Before Sophia could stand at her full height, the bigger Alpha's elbow came down on her temple, causing her to see stars and fall to the ground with a grunt. Sophia could hear Scott talking to Ethan and Aiden before she felt an arm wrap around her waist. She was pulled up to her feet against a strong chest. She blinked a few times before looking around, Derek was holding her up, Jennifer was gone, and the twins were making their way towards the elevator.

"Go ahead and say it." He said, his fangs distorted his speech. Sophia groaned, touching the side of her head that was still healing as she got her feet steady underneath her.

"Say what?" She asked, looking at him.

"I told you so." She patted him on the chest as she walked by.

"I'll save that for when we are at home and safe if that's alright with you Big Bad." She said, making her way over to Stiles where he and Peter had Cora.

**XXX**

They ran through another door, Peter was carrying Cora as they tried to lose the Super Alpha. "Don't stop! Don't stop!" Derek called to them from behind. "Stiles!" He called and Sophia slid to a stop, what the hell was the boy thinking. She came back through the doors she had just come through.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked, turning to her.

"Keep going! We'll catch up." She said to him, he nodded softly before continuing to carry Cora through the halls. Stiles waited just inside the doorway for the twins. When they stepped into his vision, he hit the Alpha over the head with the baseball bat. She was pretty sure that he wasn't expecting it to splinter upon impact like it did. He looked at it in shock before the twins turned and growled at him. He dropped the remaining piece of the bat before running back over to Scott, Derek, and Sophia. Scott jumped up, grabbing one of the light fixtures before pulling it down, hitting the bigger Alpha in the face with it.

"I say we continue to run." Sophia slurred through her fangs as turned and ran. She could hear the three boys behind her.

**XXX**

They came into an operating room. Peter laid Cora down on a table while Derek and Sophia shut the doors behind them and held them closed for a second. "Where's the big guy?" Peter asked.

"He's close." Derek answered.

"What about Ms. Blake?" Stiles asked, looking between the three werewolves he had just come in with. Scott shook his head softly. "What do you mean? What does that mean? Like, she's gone? Scott, are you kidding me?" Stiles got louder and louder.

"Shh, quiet!" Derek told the boy as he and Peter switched places. Sophia came deeper into the room, looking around for anything that they could use to slow the big guy down.

"Me be quiet? Me, huh? Are you telling me what to do now? When your psychotic, mass murdering girlfriend, the second one you've dated, by the way, has got my dad somewhere, tied up, waiting to be ritually sacrificed?" He got into Derek's face now and Sophia grabbed his shoulder, pulling him away from the Alpha.

"Stop it Stiles." She said. He shook her hand off, pushing at her shoulders to push her away from him. Derek growled at the boy.

"You don't get it Sophia! It's not your dad or your mom! You don't understand. I can't lose him." Stiles said to the redhead.

"John has been like a father to me Stiles so I do get it. We're going to find him and when we do, he's going to be fine. Just relax. You working yourself up isn't helping anyone." She said before turning and going back to looking through the medication.

"Stiles, they're still out there." Scott said, coming up to their best friend.

"And… and they want her, right?" Stiles asked, looking at the other boy. "Which means now we don't have her either, so my dad and Cora are both dead!" He got loud again.

"Not yet." Sophia said.

"Is she really dying?" Scott asked as he came to Peter's side as he stood over Cora.

"She's definitely not getting better." Peter answered.

"There has to be something we can do. We have to help her." Scott said before the doors opened.

"You can't." Jennifer said as she came in. Sophia could feel her chest vibrating with a growl. "Only I can. I can save her, and I can tell you where Sheriff Stilinski is. But there is a pack of Alphas in this hospital that want me dead. So I'll help you, but only when I'm out of here and safe. Only then." Sophia snarled as she charged the woman, she could vaguely here a clattering sound behind her before she felt a pair of arms wrap around her middle as she was picked up from the ground, keeping her from advancing on the woman.

"Both of you wait!" Scott said, holding Derek back but looking between the two Alphas.

"She was trying to get out!" Derek shouts, pointing at the woman.

"I was trying to keep from getting killed. You can't blame me for that." She said back to him and Sophia rolled her eyes. She was set down on her feet again but the arms remained around her. A quick glanced down revealed Peter's arms. She leaned back against the former Alpha, who didn't seem to have a problem with it.

"If you want to show you're one of the good guys, then heal her." Stiles said, taking a few steps closer to the Darach.

"Not until I'm safe." She said, shaking her head.

"You won't be safe as long as I'm around." Sophia said, snarling through her elongated fangs.

"I'd like to volunteer a different method of persuasion." Peter said from behind Sophia. She tilted her head back to look up at his face. He only stood about three inches taller than her own height. "Let's torture her."

"Works for me." Derek and Sophia said at the same time, making a move towards the woman. Scott held Derek back while Peter's arms tightened around the girl. Just then, the P.A. system kicked on.

'_Um, can I have your attention? Mr. Deucalion… excuse me, just Deucalion, requests you bring the woman calling herself Jennifer Blake to the E.R. reception. Do this and everyone else can leave. You have ten minutes.'_ Melissa's voice came over the system. She sounded scared.

"He's not gonna hurt her." Jennifer said.

"Shut up!" Derek said, pointing to the woman. Peter finally let Sophia go before turning his attention to Cora.

"He won't!" She insisted. "Scott, you know why. Tell them it's true."

"What does she mean?" Derek asked, turning his attention to Scott.

"You and Sophia are not the only one he wants in his pack." Jennifer said to Derek. Sophia's brow furrowed as she turned her attention to Scott. "Deucalion doesn't just want an Alpha pack, he wants perfection. That means adding the rarest of Alphas to his ranks."

"A true Alpha." Peter said and Sophia turned to him.

"Are you kidding me?" She asked.

"What's that?" Stiles asked.

"The kind that doesn't have to steal his powers from another. One that can rise by the force of his own will. Our little Scott." Peter answered.

"It doesn't matter." Scott said to the room. "We still need to get her out of here."

"Can we do it in a body bag?" Sophia asked, pushing her hair out of her face. Jennifer raised an eyebrow at her.

"Scott, your mom…" Stiles began.

"My mom said there's one more ambulance coming in twenty minutes. And I don't think we've been here that long, so if we can get down to the garage, get to the last ambulance, we can get out of here." Scott said to them.

"That's all fine and dandy but the twins aren't just gonna let us walk out of here and I'm getting tired of being thrown around." Sophia said, making everyone turn their attention to her.

"I'll distract them." Scott said his solution.

"You mean fight them." Derek rephrased.

"Whatever I have to do." Scott said back, looking from Sophia to Derek.

"I'll help you." Derek said to him.

"Der…" Sophia began.

"Um, sorry, but I'm not going anywhere without you, Derek." Jennifer said. Sophia turned to her and raised an eyebrow.

"You know, every time you open your mouth that body bag idea is looking more and more plausible. I mean, they just want you down at the reception desk, they didn't say if they wanted you dead or alive." Sophia said, her claws coming out. Peter laid a hand on Sophia's back.

"I'll do it." He said to them. "But I would prefer to be out there with an advantage." Sophia looked back at him.

"What? You're dashing good looks aren't enough?" She asked playfully as she moved to the medication cabinet.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, little one." He said with a smirk. She rolled her eyes and began looking through the different forms of medication. She didn't know what they all did in the werewolf body.

"An advantage like what? You mean like a weapon?" Stiles asked the older wolf.

"Something better than a baseball bat." Peter sassed. One by one, everyone began looking through every cabinet and drawer to see if there was anything they could use on the Alphas.

"Hey, wait. What about these?" Stiles asked, holding up Heart Defibrillator panels. Derek looked over at the boy.

"Do you know how to use those?" Stiles looked down at each of his hands.

"Well, no." He said softly.

"Put 'em down." Derek said before going back to what he was doing. Sophia bit her lip, trying to keep focused and not laugh. Stiles put them back before Scott pulled out a huge needle.

"Epinephrine?" Scott asked. Derek looked at him before shaking his head.

"That's only gonna make him stronger." Derek said before turning back to what he was doing.

"How strong?" Peter asked and Sophia stood the needle.

"You wanna find out?" She asked and the Beta nodded. She took in a deep breath, plunging the needle into the left side of his chest and pushing the plunger down. "There we go." She said, leaving the needle in for Peter to pull it out. She hated needles.

**XXX**

Peter and Scott walked out, facing off against the Super Alpha. Once the Alpha was distracted, they were able to make a break for it, Derek carrying Cora on his back while Stiles, Sophia, and Jennifer all ran. They had finally made it to the basement parking garage.

"It's still here." Stiles said when he saw the ambulance sitting there. Stiles opened the back door and helped Derek ease Cora onto the stretcher inside.

"Derek, over here." Jennifer said, catching their attention. Derek walked over to where Jennifer was. Sophia peeked around, seeing the driver of the ambulance lying on the ground, dead. Derek and Jennifer began to walk closer to him when Kali's voice filled the parking garage.

"Julia." Kali came around the corner, feet bloody and the keys jingling in her hands. "It is you." She said when she saw Jennifer. Sophia turned and closed one of the doors to the ambulance.

"I'll be back." She said and he nodded. She closed the last door before peeking around the corner again. Jennifer came running around the ambulance and once Kali roared, Sophia was right behind her with Derek behind her. Derek ran past the elevator but Jennifer stopped him, calling him back. Sophia slid to a stop, her boots slick on the linoleum floor.

"I'm going to find Scott and Peter!" Sophia yelled to the other Alpha. He nodded his head, grabbing a stretcher and rolling it towards Kali as she came running down the halls.

"Be careful!" He called to her as he got into the elevator. She nodded her head before taking off down the halls, looking for any signs of her best friend and the crazy ex-alpha.

**XXX**

Sophia yelped when she almost ran into who she was looking for. She saw that Scott had to support Peter, meaning the shot must've wore off. She opened the door beside them, letting them go in before following them and closing the door tightly behind her.

"Those twins are really starting to piss me off." Peter said from where he was leaning against a table.

"How are we supposed to get past them?" Scott asked from where he was leaning against the door. Sophia was standing beside Peter, checking him over for any serious injuries.

"Personally, I think if we keep letting them beat the living crap out of us, they'll tire and give up." Peter answered.

"You know, as much as I love that plan, it is not in the cards for today. But thanks anyway." Sophia said, patting him on the shoulder. Scott's eyes caught something, Sophia and Peter looked at it was a laundry chute. Scott looked at the other two wolves. It was probably their only option. Peter went down first, followed by Sophia (who Scott pressured into not waiting for Peter to move), and then Scott himself. Sophia landed directly on top of Peter while Scott landed beside them but ended up falling over onto them. Peter pushed them both off forcefully.

"You two couldn't have waited, like, ten seconds?" He asked and Sophia shrugged.

"His idea, remember?" She motioned to Scott over her shoulder as she got out of the laundry bin. Peter twisted his arm, cracking the bones before pulling up his sleeve when they heard Scott's phone vibrate. He pulled out of his pocket and Peter leaned over slightly.

"They didn't get out, did they?" He asked as she jumped out of the bin himself. Scott followed them, typing a message back to Derek.

"We need to drop Peter off." Sophia said, turning to look at Scott. The boy nodded, making their way towards the basement garage. Halfway there, Sophia ended up having to help Peter like Scott had done when she'd almost run into them. Scott ran up to the ambulance first, knocking on the door and telling Stiles to open the door as Sophia helped Peter towards the vehicle.

"Sorry." Stiles said as he opened the doors.

"Help me." Sophia said, when she reached the ambulance. Scott and Stiles both helped her get Peter inside and past Stiles to sit closer to the front.

"Where's Derek and Jennifer?" Stiles asked.

"I have to go back for them and my mom." Scott said.

"We have to go back." Sophia said, turning to him and glancing around to make sure none of the Alphas were there.

"Okay, well, two problems." Stiles said.

"Well, I think I can guess one." Sophia said, drawing their attention to her. "Kali's got the keys?" Stiles nodded.

"Yeah… and I just saw the twins, like, 30 seconds ago." He finished. There was a distant banging sound that caused them all to look.

"Stay here." Scott said to Stiles as he and Sophia ran back inside the hospital.

**XXX**

Scott stopped walking. "What are you doing? Come on." Sophia said, turning back to him. There was a moment of silence before the twins came barreling at him.

"Go!" Scott shouted and Sophia nodded hesitantly as she took off down the hall, looking for Derek and Jennifer. Scott told her they were in an elevator; she just had to find out which one.

**XXX**

The lights came back on. Sophia sighed in relief before she could hear the elevator start again. She ran down a hallway, running into Scott and knocking them both down. "We've got to stop meeting like this." Sophia said as she accepted Scott's hand up. They continued down the hall until they came to the elevator, the doors opened and Derek was lying on the floor inside. Jennifer was nowhere to be seen and the emergency hatch was open. Sophia pushed Scott to the side. "Go!" She said to him, coming into the elevator and kneeling next to Derek. Stiles came to a stop in front of the elevator before following Scott up to the roof. Sophia shook Derek. "Derek, come on. Der… wake up! Come on!" She slapped his cheek a couple of times.

Sophia laid her head on Derek's chest, taking in a shaking breath and trying not to cry. Things were going to hell and there was nothing she could do… even as an Alpha.


	34. Alpha Pact

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long! I lost motivation and then every time I tried to write, something came up! I'm going to post to chapters today since I missed two Mondays! Hope you guys enjoy and sorry for the wait! Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Stiles came running back into the elevator, laying a hand on Sophia's back. "Are you okay?" She nodded her head.

"Just trying to wrap my head around everything." She sniffled and Stiles nodded.

"Let me try." He said, kneeling down beside the Alpha. Sophia shifted to the side. Stiles began to do the same thing Sophia had done. Shaking him and slapping him (although the slapping was a little harder than she had been doing it). "Derek?! Derek, come on!" He kept slapping him until eventually; he decided to try punching him. As he was about to connect, Derek had woken up and caught his wrist. Derek looked around.

"Where is she?" He asked.

"Jennifer?" Stiles and Sophia asked.

"Gone with Scott's mom." Stiles continued.

"She took her?" He asked.

"Yeah. If that's not enough of a kick to the balls, Scott left with Deucalion, okay?" Stiles said and Sophia's head snapped up.

"What?! You didn't tell me that!" Sophia almost yelled at the boy.

"You were crying! I didn't think it would help the situation." Stiles said while looking at his best friend before turning his attention back to Derek. "We gotta get you out of here. The police are coming right now, and we gotta get you the hell out of here." Sophia helped get Derek up.

"Whoa. What about Cora?" He asked.

"She's fine, she's with Isaac and Peter." Stiles said, helping Derek get to his feet. He turned to Sophia. "Take him out of here and go."

"But Stiles…" She began but he pushed her gently.

"Go, now." She nodded as she stood beside Derek, staying closer to the older man while he got his feet back underneath him.

**XXX**

Derek and Sophia pulled up his car up next to the Argent's. They both jumped out, Sophia going to open the backseat of the Toyota while Derek went to get Cora. "Where are Scott and Stiles?" Allison asked.

"Stiles is still in the hospital. He's gonna hold off the cops for us. We have to go right now." Sophia said as Derek, with Isaac's help, gently took Cora out of the Argent's car and put her in his.

"What about Scott and Melissa?" Chris asked.

"Jennifer took Melissa." Sophia answered that question too.

"What about Scott?" Allison asked again. Derek looked at her but didn't answer as he walked around to the driver's seat. "Derek, where's Scott?" He sighed and turned to look at her.

"With Deucalion." He said before getting in the car. Sophia got in the passenger seat while Isaac got into the backseat with Cora.

**XXX**

Derek, Sophia, Peter, Isaac, and Cora all went back to the loft. Sophia sat on the bed beside the girl, dabbing her forehead with a cold, wet cloth. Her lips were covered in black blood that Sophia tried to wipe up often. Derek was sitting in a chair beside the bed while Peter was sitting on the steps, his usual place. Isaac was pacing around the room.

"She's dying, isn't she?" Isaac asked as he came to stand closer to the Alphas.

"I don't know." Derek answered.

"So what are you going to do?" Isaac asked again.

"I don't know." Derek said again after a moment of silence. Sophia glanced up at him before looking back down at Cora.

"Wanna figure something out? Because while Scott and Stiles were out there trying to help people from being killed, you were in here rolling around the sheets with the actual killer." The beta said to Derek.

"Isaac, that's enough." Sophia said firmly with a flash of her eyes. Isaac stopped for a moment and just watched her.

"How can you sit there and defend him!? Ms. McCall and the Sheriff are like your own parents! Scott and Stiles are your brothers!" Isaac asked, raising his voice to the she-wolf.

"He didn't know. None of us knew." Sophia said calmly, dabbing at Cora's lips again.

"Everything you feel for him and you still defend him? Defend him sleeping with a woman who is going to kill everyone!? All these innocent people?"

"Stop." Sophia said, once again, looking up at the beta. She missed the furrowed brow that Derek had as he watched the she-wolf.

"Do you know how many people she's killed? Erica and Boyd are dead, Cora is dying, and neither of you are doing anything!"

"We're trying Isaac!" Sophia finally raised her voice to the beta.

"Apparently not." He said.

"Isaac, we're not superheroes. I don't know what you expect us to do!"

"Not let people die!" Isaac yelled at her. His face pink with exertion. "From what Scott's told me this isn't the first time something like this has happened, anyway. How can you love someone like him?" Sophia's eyes flashed and Derek's widened. It was the same way Derek found out she was a wolf, the way she was an Alpha, and now the way she felt about him.

"You're out of line." Sophia said to him standing up. He took in a deep breath before turning to look at Derek.

"Why'd you do this to us, Derek?" He asked, turning to the silent Alpha. "Was it all about the power? Were you bored?" He took a few steps closer to the man, leaning down so he was eye level with Derek.  
"Were you lonely?"

"Maybe." Derek answered him simply and softly. Isaac's face dropped as he stood up and began walking towards the loft doors. "I told Cora I wouldn't leave. I'll help the others when I figure out how to help her."

"There's no time!" Isaac yelled back from his place by the door. "The full moon's coming." He said in a normal inside voice before he pulled the door open and stepped out to the other side. "The Sheriff and Melissa are gonna be dead, so I'm gonna try and help them. You can sit here and perfect the art of doing nothing." He slammed the door shut behind him. Sophia sighed and dunked the washrag in cold water before squeezing it out and putting it to Cora's forehead.

"I wouldn't take it personally." Peter said as he stood up and began to walk down the steps. "Anger is just a tool. He's using it to excuse shifting allegiance from one Alpha to another." Derek and Sophia turned to look at him. "From you to Scott."

"Scott's not an Alpha yet." Derek said back to him before turning to Cora.

"But he's on his way, isn't he?" Peter asked. They were silent for a moment.

"You should go home Sophia… check on your parents." Derek said softly.

"No, I want to be here to help." Sophia said, looking at the other Alpha.

"Go home." Derek said.

"But…" She began before she was cut off by Derek looked up at her sharply, his eyes red.

"Go home!" He said firmly, an Alpha command. Sophia watched him for a moment; if she was a beta she would have been intimated. She sighed through her nose before standing up and stepping up to the other Alpha, cupping his face gently before she kissed his forehead.

"If you need me for anything, call me. Food, drinks, someone to talk to… anything." She said, her lips brushing against Derek's forehead as she spoke. He was stock still, a little shocked before he relaxed into her touch, nodding his head softly. She kissed his forehead once more before glancing back at Cora and Peter before she walked to the door and out of the loft.

**XXX**

Sophia turned the car off when she pulled into the driveway of her house. Scott's mom and Stiles' dad had been taken. There was something fishy about it being the two of them. Jennifer needed one more person before the Lunar Eclipse which was in two days. She had a feeling that her parents were safe though. While they knew about the supernatural, they weren't heavily involved in it. With a sigh, she grabbed all of her stuff and made her way inside.

"Hi honey!" Her mother called from the kitchen.

"Hey." She said back, hanging her keys up on the little hook by the door before kicking off her boots.

"How is everything?" Her father asked from where he was sitting in front of the TV.

"Not that great actually." Sophia said, walking into the kitchen and to the fridge to get a soda.

"What do you mean?" Her mother asked.

"You've heard about all of the killings, right?" Her mom nodded while her dad came into the kitchen, leaning against the doorway.

"Apparently, our new English teacher Jennifer Blake is behind it. She is what we would call a Darach. We also have a pack of Alpha werewolves that want Derek and I to join their pack." Sophia explained as she cracked the Strawberry Crush open and took a sip. "She also poisoned Cora, tried to kill Lydia, she has taken John and Melissa, and Scott is now with the Alpha pack because he is apparently going to be an Alpha." Both of her parents looked at her in shock.

"You know when I was your age all I had to worry about was my car getting me to school and homework." Her dad said and Sophia smiled softly.

"I wish that was all I had to worry about." She took another sip of her soda before her phone went off. She pulled it out of her pocket, seeing that she had a text from Stiles.

_**From Stiles (1:42 pm)**_

_**Lydia is a Banshee.**_

"Well, that explains a lot." Sophia muttered, putting her phone back into her pocket.

"Explains what?" Her mother asked.

"Lydia has been able to find dead bodies pretty easily and when she's not trying. We could never figure out why but apparently, Jennifer knew. She is a Banshee." Sophia explained.

"Isn't the old legend about a Banshee that when one screams, someone is going to die…" Her dad asked and she nodded her head.

"That's the legend. She's been able to find every dead body since she was bitten by Peter a while ago." Sophia said, watching as her mom moved deeper into the kitchen to finish dinner.

**XXX**

Sophia still went to school the next day. The bell to end third period ran and Sophia was immediately out the door and rushing into the halls, almost immediately finding Stiles and Lydia.

"Hey!" She said as she came closer, her boots clicking on the floor.

"Hey." Stiles answered looking around.

"Have you seen Aiden or Ethan?" Lydia asked the other girl. She shook her head.

"No, why?" She asked.

"We need to talk to him." Lydia said, turning to Stiles. "Okay, well, maybe we could just… We could go over there and…" She stopped when Stiles reached for his phone. He pulled out of his pocket and read the text. His face held an expression of shock as one hand dropped from the phone.

"Oh, God. What is it now?" Lydia asked as the two girls stepped closer to him. He licked his lips.

"It's from Isaac. Jennifer, she… She has Allison's father. She took him. She got all three now." He said to them, his hands began to shake horribly as he tried to put his phone back into his pocket. He began to pant as well.

"There's still time. We still have time, right?" Lydia asked looking over at Sophia.

"Yes. There is still time. We'll get them Stiles. I promise." She said, gently putting a hand on his shoulder. He gasped as he continued to pant.

"Stiles, you okay?" Lydia asked as he turned away from them. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I think he's having a panic attack." Sophia said, stepping closer to the boy. He nodded his head. Sophia reached out and grabbed Stiles' face, putting her forehead to his like she used to do when they were kids. "Stiles, I need you to look at me." He finally brought his eyes up to her. He was still panting as he grabbed her wrists, squeezing them tightly. She could tell this was a pretty bad attack. She pulled away before turning back to look at Lydia. "Lydia, help me get him to the locker room." The two of them managed to lead Stiles to the locker room. Sophia set him on the ground as she went to lock the doors.

"Just try and think about something else. Anything else." Lydia said from where she was kneeling on the ground beside him.

"Like what?" He asked, still panting and wheezing.

"Uh, happy things." She said. "Good things. Uh, friends, family…" Sophia turned to them.

"Lydia!"

"Sorry! Sorry! I mean, not family. Oh, God. Okay, uh… Just try and slow your breathing." She began breathing slower so he had something to follow.

"I can't… I can't." He said back, he was beginning to hyperventilate. Sophia ran over and knelt next to him. Lydia cupped his face, drawing his attention to her.

"Shh, look at me. Stiles, look at me. Shh." He looked at her but was still gasping. Lydia leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Sophia blinked a couple of times. Alrighty then. When Lydia pulled away, Stiles wasn't panting at all. He was able to breath.

"How did you do that?" He asked her quietly.

"I, uh… I read once that holding your breath could stop a panic attack." She said, quietly and unsure. "So when I kissed you, you held your breath."

"I did?" Stiles asked, still a little dazed by the whole thing.

"Yeah, you did." She said with a small smile.

"Thanks." Stiles said. "It was really smart." Lydia chuckled. Sophia scooted away quietly, leaning back against one of the benches to watch them. Both of them shifted to get comfortable.

"I just… I don't know, I just read it somewhere. And if I was really smart, I would tell you to sign up for a few sessions with the guidance counselor." They both chuckled but Sophia's brow furrowed. Wasn't she…

"Morrell." Stiles said and looked up at Sophia. She stood up, unlocking the doors and running down the hall to her office. She opened the door, there was someone sitting across from her desk already.

"Are you here for Ms. Morrell?" She asked the girl.

"No, I thought this was gym class." She said sarcastically. Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"Sweetheart, after everything I've been through, I am not in the mood for funny." The girl raised her eyebrow at Sophia. "Do you know where she is?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be waiting here for 20 minutes." She said, holding her arms out to the room. Sophia glanced at the door, Lydia and Stiles were finally there. "So how about you back out the door and wait your turn." Sophia smiled.

"I'm not here for a session."

"Well, I am." The girl said. "And I got some serious issues to work on."

"Hey, wait, wait." Stiles said, coming into the room. "You're Danielle. You're Heather's best friend."

"I was Heather's best friend." She said sadly. "We've been working on that issue three times a week." She motioned to Morrell's desk.

"Hold on. Did you say Ms. Morrell was 20 minutes late?" Lydia asked, peeking into the room.

"And I don't know why either. She's always on time." Danielle said.

"I was seeing her at the beginning of the semester." Lydia said to them. "She was never late."

"Then she's not late, she's missing." Stiles said.

"What if we're not the only ones who think she knows something?" Lydia asked, looking between Sophia and Stiles.

"Then I wanna know what she knows." Stiles said, walking towards her desk. He knelt down behind the desk, looking through one of the drawers.

"What are you doing?" Danielle asked.

"Trying to find her." Stiles answered without looking up.

"Those files are private." Danielle said back to him.

"You know she's kind of right." Sophia said, motioning to the girl.

"That one's yours." Stiles said, handing the file to Lydia.

"Let me see that." Lydia took the file and began looking through it, inside was the drawing Lydia had done of that tree.

"Wait, Lydia, that's you drawing." Stiles said.

"Yeah, I know. It's a tree." Lydia said uninterested.

"Yeah, it's good too." Danielle said as she stood up to look at it.

"Thank you." Lydia said to her.

"No, but that's the same one, though." Stiles says, standing up.

"Same as what?" Lydia asked.

"It's the same one I always see you drawing in class." Stiles said and Sophia stepped up behind her to see the tree.

"It's a tree. I like drawing trees." Lydia said, still not understanding why it's a big deal. Sophia tilted her head.

"It's the exact same one." Stiles said walking over to her. "Give me your bag." He reached in and pulled out her notebook, opening it up to the drawing and laying it against the other picture. They were, literally, the same. He kept flipping pages and all of the trees were the same, no matter the size.

"Okay, you can have my session." Danielle said as she grabbed her bags and left. "You've got bigger issues."

"What is this?" Lydia asked. Stiles stopped flipping and turned the book upside down. The tree became a system of roots then.

"I know where they are." He said and Sophia looked at him.

"Then we should go." She said and they nodded.

**XXX**

"It's the Nemeton." Stiles said once they left the office. "That's where she's keeping them. It has to be."

"Stilinski!" Someone called out and Sophia groaned. It was Rafael McCall… Scott's FBI Agent father. Stiles sighed.

"Alright, go to Derek, okay?" He asked, turning to the two redheads. "He and Peter, they've been there before so they'll know where it is. Tell them it's the root cellar, alright? They'll know." Sophia nodded, gently grabbing Lydia's arm to pull her along.

**XXX**

"We'll take my car." Sophia said as she and Lydia came into the parking lot.

"Do you know where it is?" She asked the older girl.

"I've heard about it but I don't know exactly where it is." She unlocked her doors before getting in. Once Lydia was settled into the passenger seat, she turned the car on before turning the radio off. She backed out and took off down the road.

"So… this is a bad time to ask… I'm sure, but… what are you and Derek?" Sophia blinked a couple of times before looking over at Lydia.

"What are you talking about?" Sophia asked, turning her attention back to the road.

"Well, at first you didn't want to get within ten feet of each other and now you go to his place without a second thought. I was just…"

"There is nothing between us. We're both Alphas trying to protect our packs. That's all it is."

"Somehow I don't believe you."

"Well, it doesn't really matter at this point because we're going there to find Melissa, Chris, and John." Sophia said, glancing at her again before shifting gears. She pulled out her cellphone, dialing a number and putting it on speaker phone before setting it on the dash. It rang a couple of times.

'_Hello?'_ Deaton's voice filled the quiet car.

"Hey Deaton, it's Sophia." She said.

'_What can I do for you?'_ He asked.

"I was wondering if you could go up to the school and tell the FBI Agent that Stiles is staying with you. We've had a major break in finding the parents and we need him." Sophia explained to the Druid.

'_I think I can do that.'_ He said and Sophia smiled.

"Thank you so much Deaton."

'_It's not a problem.'_

"Bye."

'_Goodbye.'_ He said before they hung up the phones.

"Alright, we're almost to the loft." Sophia said.

**XXX**

They pulled up beside the silver Toyota before getting out and going up the stairs. When they got to the loft doors, Sophia tried to pull them open but they were locked. Better safe than sorry at this point she guessed. Sophia knocked loudly on the door and listened as someone began walking over to it. She heard the locks open before the door was slid open. Peter was standing on the other side. Lydia and Peter both looked a little surprised to see each other.

"You." She said.

"Me." Peter said back.

"You."

"Me." He said with a sigh. Sophia's brow furrowed as she watched them. "Derek! We have visitors." He yelled back into the loft. Sophia raised an eyebrow at him.

**XXX**

"What do you mean you don't know where it is?" Sophia said, putting her hands on her hips. "Stiles said you've been there before."

"We have." Peter said. "But after a few memorable experiences there, Talia, Derek's mother and my older sister, decided that she didn't ever want us going back. She knew how dangerous it was, and took the memory of its location from us."

"But then how are we supposed to find it?" Lydia asked the former Alpha. Peter shook his head.

**XXX**

"It has to be on a telluric current, or maybe even at the axis of two, or where they all intersect." Stiles explained to Deaton. "I just know it's where Derek took Paige to die." Stiles, Sophia, Lydia, Allison, and Isaac were all in Deaton's clinic, trying to figure out where the Nemeton was.

"My father and Gerard were there once. But Gerard said it was years ago and he couldn't remember where it was. And my dad obviously isn't here to tell us now." Allison said.

"Yeah, mine either." Stiles said.

"Then how do we find this place?" Isaac asked from where he was standing beside Sophia.

"There might be a way." Deaton said, causing all of the teenagers to look at him. "But it's dangerous. We're gonna need Scott." Sophia sighed.

"Lydia, Isaac, Allison, and I will stay here. You and Deaton go get Scott." Sophia said, turning to Stiles.

"Are you sure?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yeah. I'm sure. Maybe we can figure something out without doing anything dangerous." Sophia would have done the same thing Peter had done to Isaac when Derek was looking for the location of Boyd and Erica except… she hadn't had any practice with it. Of course, she could have done it on Peter, that way it didn't matter if he was paralyzed or dead. Stiles nodded, putting a hand on Sophia's arm as he and Deaton walked out.

**XXX**

Deaton called when they were on their way back, giving Sophia and Isaac directions about what to do before they got there. The werewolf pair moved three ice baths into the exam room like they had done with Isaac. Sophia unrolled the hose and began filling up the bath with water as Scott, Stiles, and Deaton walked in the door. Sophia, Lydia, and Isaac moved quickly to put the ice into each bath. "Alright." Deaton said. "What did you bring?" He asked the three of them.

"Um… I got my dad's badge." Stiles said, holding it up. "Jennifer kind of crushed it in her hand, so I tried hammering it out a bit. Still doesn't look great."

"It doesn't need to look good if it has meaning." Deaton said. Sophia walked over and hugged Stiles close. He rested his cheek on her head, wrapping his arms around her.

"Is that an actual silver bullet?" Isaac asked Allison.

"Yeah, my dad made it as kind of a ceremonial thing. When one of us finishes learning all the skills to be a hunter, we forge a silver bullet as a testament to the Code." She explained.

"Scott?" Deaton asked the beta.

"My dad got my mom this watch when she first got hired to the hospital. She used to say it was the only thing in her marriage that ever worked." Scott said, opening his fist so that they could see the watch.

"Okay. The three of you will get in. Each of us will hold you down until you're essentially… well, dead. But it's not just someone to hold you under. It needs to be someone who can pull you back. Someone who has a strong connection to you, a kind of emotional tether. Lydia, you go with Stiles."

"Are you sure? I mean, Scott and I both have to go under." Allison said to Deaton.

"It's okay." Scott said to her gently. They all got ready to go into the water. Sophia laid her hand against Scott's back. He turned to look at her. She offered him a tight smile before placing a hand on his jaw, making him lean down slightly to give him a kiss on the cheek like he had done at the Winter Formal. He offered her a small smile of his own before turning back to the water. They were all in the water when Stiles turned to Scott.

"By the way, if I don't make it back and you do, you should probably know something." Stiles said to Scott. "Your dad's in town." Scott looked a little panicky for a moment. Sophia stepped closer and leaned down, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. She took off her jacket before putting her hands on Scott's shoulders. He took in a deep breath before Sophia pushed him under. She looked over to Lydia and Isaac before looking back down at Scott. His eyes snapped open… shining Beta gold.


	35. Lunar Eclipse

**A/N: Season finale for season 3A! And for all of those patient souls out there, Derek and Sophia totally happens! I miscounted for the last chapter but it's here! Thank you all for being patient! Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my character Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia jumped up out of her seat when Scott, Stiles, and Allison suddenly sat up, gasping for air. "I saw it. I know where it is!" Scott said as he got out of the bath.

"Yeah, we passed it. There was a big stump. This huge tree. Well, it's not huge anymore. It was cut down. But it's still big, though. Very big." Stiles said as he got out of the water.

"It was the night we were looking for the body." Scott continued.

"Yeah, same night you were bit by Peter." Stiles said to him.

"I was there, too, in the car with my mother. We almost hit someone." Allison said as she followed the boy's lead.

"It was me. You almost hit me." Scott said, turning to Allison. "We can find it." He said, taking a few steps towards Deaton. The man turned to look at Lydia, Isaac, and Sophia.

"What?" Allison asked.

"You guys were out a long time." Isaac said.

"How long is a long time?" Stiles asked.

"Sixteen hours." Deaton said. All three of their faces fell into one of shock.

"We were in the water for sixteen hours?" Scott asked.

"And the full moon rises in less than four." Deaton said to them.

**XXX**

"No, dude. You are not going back with them." Stiles said as Sophia handed him and Scott a towel.

"I made a deal with Deucalion." Scott said.

"Does anyone else think that sounds a lot like a deal with the devil?" Stiles asked everyone around them.

"Because it is?" Sophia asked, crossing her arms over her chest to watch them.

"Why does it matter anyway?" Isaac asked.

"Because I still don't think that we can beat Jennifer without their help." Scott said, not looking at anyone.

"He trusts you more than anyone. Tell him he's wrong." Allison said, looking at Deaton.

"I'm not sure he is." Deaton said, watching Scott.

"Oh boy." Sophia said, rolling her eyes and looking out the window at the moon. She could feel her body starting to buzz with the pull of it.

"Circumstances like this sometimes require that you align yourself with people you'd normally consider enemies." He explained.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Sophia said, looking at the veterinarian. He nodded his head in response.

"So we're gonna trust him, the guy that calls himself "death, destroyer of worlds"? We're gonna trust that guy?" Isaac said and Sophia nodded.

"Doesn't sound like a good idea." She said.

"I wouldn't trust him, no." Deaton answers. "But you could use him to your advantage. Deucalion may be the enemy but he could also be bait." The group was silent when they heard the front door opening. Sophia followed Deaton, glancing around the corner, surprised to see one of the twins there.

"I'm looking for Lydia." He said. She walked over to stand beside the older girl, Scott behind the two of them.

"What do you want?" She asked the Alpha.

"I need your help." He said.

"With what?" Stiles said as he came around the corner, leaning against the doorframe.

"Stopping my brother and Kali from killing Derek." Sophia blinked.

"Huh… that's a new one." Sophia said before she made her way back into the room to grab her jacket and slip it on her shoulders.

"Sophia?" Stiles asked, looking back at her.

"I'm going to head to the loft with… Ethan…" She said, unsure about which twin it was but she was pretty sure it was Ethan. He was nicer than Aiden. "Peter's being a dick and with Cora being sick, no rhyme intended, Derek's going to need all the help he can get." She said, walking back over to the group.

"Well…" Lydia began. "What are we waiting for?" She stepped out into the lobby, Sophia right behind her as they walked towards the door, Ethan already outside on his motorcycle.

"We'll call if anything happens." Sophia said, turning to the others. Scott looked unsure before he nodded his head. She nodded back before she followed Lydia out the open door to her Challenger.

**XXX**

"We know about the lunar eclipse, so don't think Kali's gonna sit around waiting for it to level the playing field. She's coming. My brother's coming with her." Ethan said to Derek. Cora, Peter, and Sophia were standing around man. Lydia was standing beside Ethan.

"Good enough for me, Derek?" Peter said, looking at his nephew.

"You want me to run?" Derek asked.

"No." Peter answered. "I want you to stay and get slaughtered by an Alpha with a psychotic foot fetish." Sophia pursed her lips, smiling and laughing would seem inappropriate at the moment. "Of course I want you to run! Sprint, gallop, leap your way the hell out of this town."

"If you wanna fight and die for something, that's fine with me but do it for something meaningful." Cora said. Sophia nodded before turning her attention back to Derek.

"I'm with them. At this point, there's no way we can beat her. We've both lost to her… several times. Leaving sounds like a good idea." Sophia said, coming to stand beside him.

"How do you know I'm gonna lose?" Derek asked, not looking at any of them.

"We don't. But I'll bet she has an idea." Peter said to him before turning his attention to Lydia. "Don't you, Lydia?"

"Peter." Sophia growled at him.

"I don't know anything." Lydia said to him.

"But you feel something." He said as he walked closer to her. "Don't you?"

"What do you feel?" Derek asked her.

"I feel like I'm standing in a graveyard." She answered them. Derek turned to Sophia.

"I think that's feeling enough." She said, pushing her hair over her shoulder.

**XXX**

"Don't call until you're at least 100 miles away." Peter said, leaning into the open window of the passenger side. Sophia stepped onto the running board of the driver's side, leaning in to look at Derek. He glanced at Peter, then Cora, and then Sophia. She took in a deep breath, taking in the scent of pine and leather that she loved.

"Be careful. I'll call when everything is over." She said and he nodded. She pursed her lips, nodding her head before slapping the door lightly, the sound ringing out in the silence. She was about to get down when Derek's hand shot out, gently cupping the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her red hair, and pulled her deeper into the window. She squeaked when her lips met his. It took only a moment before her eyes closed and she relaxed, kissing him back.

"I'm sorry about everything." He said, his lips brushing against hers when he pulled away. "I'm sorry for the things I said. I'm sorry for the mixed signals. I'm sorry I lied to you for so long. I'm sorry for everything that happened between us after the fire." He kissed her again. They were in their own world so they both jumped when Peter yelled.

"Go!" Sophia pulled away, pressing one more chaste kiss on his lips before stepping down onto the asphalt.

"Be careful." She said once again. He nodded and shifted the car into drive as he pulled out. Sophia licked her lips before biting her bottom lip lightly.

"About time he picked someone good." Peter said with a small smile before walking back inside. Sophia followed the car with her eyes until it was out of sight before turning her attention to Peter. She rolled her emerald eyes as she followed the ex-Alpha.

**XXX**

Sophia ran back into the loft to see Kali and Jennifer fighting. A blast of energy knocked Kali down and a moment later, Aiden went after her. He fared no better before Ethan left Lydia's side and ran to his brother. Growling at Jennifer, they began to try and shift together but the woman actually stopped them and even pulled them apart. Sophia watched as Kali got up before she ran over to Lydia, grabbing the younger girl's arm and pushing her behind her. The fighting stopped as Kali really began to look at Jennifer.

From what Sophia gathered, Jennifer was actually Kali's emissary before the whole Alpha pack happened. In the blink of an eye, Jennifer used the power she'd gained from the sacrifices to send shards of broken glass into every part of Kali, killing the Alpha. Slowly, Jennifer turned to Lydia and Sophia.

The she-wolf growled, letting her eyes shift to red as her claws and fangs came out. Lydia gasped behind her and Sophia took the smallest step back, continuing to growl at the Darach. Looking over the woman's shoulder, she saw the twins in their combined Alpha form. They growled as they stalked over to Jennifer. It happened so fast, a swipe of their claws lead to Jennifer snapping their neck over her shoulder. They fell to the ground… dead. The teenagers watched silently, Lydia breathing heavily, gasping for breath behind Sophia.

"What's the line Coach likes to say?" Jennifer asked, turning to them. "The bigger they are… " She smirked and Sophia crouched lower, growling louder. Jennifer walked closer to the girls, ever so slowly. Sophia felt Lydia step away from her but Sophia continued to growl, she wasn't going to back down. That was when the she-wolf noticed that Jennifer had no interest in her. She wanted Lydia.

"What do you want from her?" Sophia asked, her words distorted by her fangs.

"I want her to do what she does best." She said to Sophia, easily grabbing her around the neck with one hand and throwing her into one of the loft's support pillars. Sophia gasped as her back and head connected before she slid to the ground. Sophia rolled onto her side, watching Jennifer walk even closer to Lydia. "I want you to scream, Lydia." Jennifer showed Lydia her true face and the younger girl screamed. Sophia covered her ears as the piercing sound echoed around them.

**XXX**

Sophia was leaning back against the pillar when the loft door slid open, Derek and Cora coming into the room. Cora immediately made her way towards her but she shook her head, turning her attention to Lydia. Cora seemed to get the message and made her way over to the Banshee. Derek looked at her as he walked closer to Jennifer, looking at Kali and the twins. "You did this for me?" He asked the woman before he made his way over to Sophia, offering her his hand. She took it, allowing him to pull her up.

"Go find Scott." He whispered, so quietly she almost missed it. She nodded her head, glaring at Jennifer once more before she made her way out of the loft, knowing that Cora and Derek would protect Lydia. She got into her Challenger and drove to the Preserve.

**XXX**

Sophia knew the shed where the plan was going to go down. Scott had told her over the phone before all of the shit with Jennifer had gone down. She ran inside the distillery, pushing her hair out of her face from the raging winds outside.

"So glad you could join us Sophia." Deucalion said when he saw her. She nodded her head, accepting the hug that Scott gave her.

"You okay?" He asked and Sophia nodded. She was completely healed.

"You said you had a plan?" Deucalion asked Scott as he came over to the two younger werewolves.

"On the first day of class, Jennifer sent all of us a message." Scott said and Sophia looked over and nodded. "It was the last line from Joseph Conrad's _Heart of Darkness._ I got a message of my own to send her. Can you record it?" He asked Sophia and she nodded. She pulled out her phone and activated her camera, turning it on to record the symbol Ennis had made. "You see this symbol? It's a symbol for revenge." Scott said before stepping in view of the camera. "You talk about balance, about saving people. We know what you really want. And now you know where to find us." Sophia ended the video and looked at him.

"I hope this works." She said and he nodded.

"Me too." Sophia put her phone back into her pocket and the waiting game begun.

**XXX**

Sophia stood beside Scott, waiting. She reached over and grabbed his hand, holding it tightly. He gripped it back, glancing at her and nodding. She nodded back softly. They saw a shadow walking towards them and Sophia nodded. She was surprised when the one shadow became two. Scott turned to her and she shook her head. Jennifer walked in, Derek at her side.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked him.

"Are you serious?" Sophia asked him.

"This might be hard to believe, but actually, trying to help you." The man said.

"Ooh. Like brother against brother. Lover against lover." Sophia glared at Deucalion. "How very American this is. Are you ready Jennifer?" He closed up his cane. "Did you gather your herbs? Pray to your ancient god and your oak trees?" The blind wolf took off his jacket. "Slit a baby's throat, perhaps."

"Wow, he's a smartass." Sophia muttered and Scott nodded softly.

"Should we show them why you needed to sacrifice nine innocent people just to face me? Or is it twelve now?" Deucalion changed into his beta form. Sophia held Scott's hand tighter as Derek changed into his own beta form. Sophia was shocked. His eyes were no longer Alpha red… they were back to their beta blue. When had that happened? Derek charged at Deucalion, trying to slash him with both hands but they were both caught. The Alpha was easily overpowering him. Jennifer tried to push him back using whatever power she had but he didn't even flinch. Quickly, Deucalion grabbed them both by the throat, lifting them off the ground before dropping them. Derek was back up again in a moment, trying to attack him again but he was easily thrown to the side.

Jennifer moved to attack him but Deucalion made quick work of her as well. Sophia glanced over; Derek was conscious, off to the side, trying to get up. Their eyes locked and Sophia saw that he was truly, sorry about what he was doing. He was trying to protect them both. She nodded softly, turning back to Deucalion as he grabbed Jennifer and dragged her over to Scott and Sophia.

"Kill her." Deucalion said the two teenagers. "Do it." They looked between Deucalion and Jennifer before blind Alpha roared. Scott fell to his knees while Sophia's eyes became red, her claws coming out and her fangs dropping before she snarled back. Scott was in his beta form when he looked up at her. "Now kill her." He said to the boy. "Your parents are dying. That storm you hear? She's burying them alive. It's her connection to the telluric currents. Kill her and it ends."

"It won't end. Not with me." Jennifer said and Sophia stepped in front of Scott. "He'll have you kill everyone you love. It's what he does."

"They're dying Scott." Deucalion said again. "Your mother and the parents of your best friends. Kill her now and it's over. Become the Alpha you're meant to be. Become a killer."

"They're not dead yet." Scott said from behind Sophia.

"And who's going to save them? Your friends?" Scott stood up and Sophia glanced back, his eyes were now glowing gold.

"My pack." Deucalion growls as he ran at them quickly, knocking Sophia to the side before grabbing Scott by the neck and the wrist.

"Maybe you just need a little guidance." Deucalion led him over to Jennifer. Sophia groaned as her back hit the ground. She rolled over, getting to her feet.

"I forgot to tell you something, something Gerard told me. _'Deucalion isn't always blind.'_" Sophia closed and covered her eyes and crouched down as Scott threw down one of the exploding arrowheads the Argents use. When Sophia uncovered her eyes, she saw that they had all been blinded, even Scott. Sophia rolled her eyes before getting back to her feet. She looked down at her hands, they were normal but she didn't remember shifting back. She didn't feel… powerful. She felt normal… like she did before Scott was bit, when her powers were dormant.

"The eclipse… it's started." Deucalion said. Scott stood up.

"Oh no." He said.

"What?" Sophia asked, walking over to him and she noticed it as well… Jennifer was gone.

**XXX**

Someone came walking through the smoke. It was Jennifer… in her real form. Her slashed face visible without glimpses of it. She knocked Scott back and before Sophia could even growl, Jennifer had done the same thing to her. Sophia coughed when she hit the ground, curing up in the fetal position as she tried to breath. Without her powers, getting her breath back was actually going to take some time. She opened her eyes; Jennifer was beating Deucalion's head into the ground.

"Jennifer." Derek said, standing up from his hiding place. She turned to him. "He doesn't know."

"Know what?" She asked him, her voice severally deformed.

"What you really look like." Jennifer looked down at him. "He knows the cost of bringing Kali into his pack. But he's never seen the price you paid."

"No. No, he hasn't." Jennifer said before kneeling down, placing her hand over his eyes. When Sophia was finally able to breathe, she sat up, leaning against the wall behind her. Deucalion screamed but it was only for a moment. Jennifer then released him and he looked around, blinking. She had given him his sight back? "Turn to me." She said. "Turn to me!" She screamed and this time, Deucalion listened. She changed back into her "normal" form before she raised her arm into the air, getting ready to surely kill Deucalion when she almost collapsed. Derek ran to her side and caught her. Sophia wanted to growl but… she couldn't. "What is this?" She asked, her voice back to normal.

"Healing him made you weak, just like healing Cora did to me. You won't have your strength for at least a few minutes." He said to her. Healing Cora must be why Derek's eyes are blue and not red anymore.

"Then you do it. Kill him." She said to Derek.

"No." He said, shaking his head. She looked at him, shocked.

"What?" She asked.

"Like my mother used to say, I'm a predator, but I don't have to be a killer." He cupped her head and this time, Sophia let out a growl (mind you, it was very human-ish, not nearly as threatening as it should have been) as she tried to stand. His hand slowly slid around until it was on her throat. "Let them go." Derek said to her, choking her but she had enough strength left to easily push Derek off of her. She punched him a few times before she stopped to look at his face. Sophia couldn't hear what she had said. She turned away from him and he stood up. He ran at her again, she grabbed his throat and pushed him back into some crates, Derek had her by the throat as well. She beat him against the crate before Sophia glanced at her watch, the eclipse should be over. Sophia could feel her body healing as she eyes shifted to red. "You're 15 minutes are up." Derek said, his own glowing blue. He easily pushed her away towards Sophia. She growled, taking on her beta form. She was about to attack the woman when she threw up a Mountain Ash barrier.

"Like I told you Derek, either you or the parents. Well, I guess I'll just have to take them now." Jennifer said, turning to look at Scott. "In a few minutes, they'll be dead and I won't need a lunar eclipse even to kill a Demon Wolf." Scott lifted his hands, pressing them to the barrier.

"You tried this before Scott. I don't remember you having much success." Jennifer said. Sophia shifted back to normal as she walked over to Derek. The man glanced at her before turning back to Scott. His eyes went from gold to red as he stepped over the barrier, finally breaking through it. Jennifer fell to the ground while Derek and Sophia covered their eyes. "How did you do that?" She asked, panting as she tried to put some distance between herself and Scott.

"I'm an Alpha now." Scott said to her. "Whatever you're doing to cause the storm, make it stop or I'll kill you myself." Scott said to her. "I don't care what it does to the color of my eyes."

"It won't change the color of mine, so allow me." Deucalion said as he came over. He stepped across the broken barrier and slashed her throat. She changed back to her real form, gagging as she tried to breath.

**XXX**

"Call Stiles. Call Stiles." Sophia said, pulling on Scott's arm. The boy nodded, pulling out his phone and calling their best friend, he stood beside Sophia so that she could hear him clearly.

'_Scott?'_ He asked as soon as he answered the phone.

"Hey. You okay?" He asked.

'_Yeah, we're okay. We're all okay.'_ Stiles said. _'How 'bout you and Sophie? You guys okay?'_ Scott looked down at her before looking over to Derek. Sophia looked over at him and smiled softly. He smiled back before Derek did a weird head shaking shrug causing Sophia to chuckle.

"Sort of." Scott said.

'_Well, you think you could come and get us?'_ He asked.

"Yeah, of course." Scott answered.

'_Great. Okay, um… bring a ladder.'_ Stiles said and she could hear them all laughing the background. Sophia smiled, leaning into Derek when he stepped up behind her. He turned his attention to Deucalion and the two young Alphas followed him.

"My mother told me you were a man of vision once. We're letting you go because we hope you can be that man again." Derek said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But if you're not then having you eyesight back won't matter." Scott said and Sophia smirked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Because you'll never see us coming." Derek turned and began walking out first, followed by Sophia and then Scott. She sighed… it was over.

**XXX**

It was early in the morning when Sophia stepped into her house. The house was quiet except for the TV in the living room playing on a low volume. Sophia slipped out of her shoes before walking over, leaning against the doorway. Her parents were both awake, cradling coffee in their hands as he stared at the TV blankly. She could smell the exhaustion and worry in the air. She'd pretty much been gone for two days without a phone call, text, or even letter.

She licked her lips before stepping into the room. Her father instantly looked up, setting his cup on the coffee table as he got off the couch to come over to her. He pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly as her mother got up and came over, hugging her closely when her father let go of her. They stayed like that for a moment before Sophia pulled away, pushing some hair behind her ear before she looked at both of them.

"I'm sorry." She said softly. Neither of them said anything, they just hugged her again and she relaxed into their arms.

**XXX**

Sophia walked into the loft to see Cora and Derek with bags, looking like they were getting ready to leave. She raised an eyebrow as she stepped into the loft's open doorway. "Am I missing something?" She asked, causing both Hales to look at up at her.

"I'll be in the car." Cora said to Derek, nudging Sophia with her shoulder with a small smile as she passed. Once she was gone, Derek sighed, putting his bag and keys down.

"Sophia…" He began but the she-wolf held up her hand and he stopped talking, watching her closely.

"You're leaving?" She asked and he nodded. "I have a question then. What were you talking about when you went to run with Cora before? _'I'm sorry for the mixed signals. I'm sorry I lied to you for so long. I'm sorry for everything that happened between us after the fire.' _And then you kissed me… three times might I add."

"Well, twice… you kissed me once." Derek said, smiling slightly at the girl. She rolled her eyes but let a small smile grace her features. "I meant what I said. The more time I spent with you, whether it was fighting, coming up with a plan, or… just being together... the more I realized that I truly cared about you." Derek stepped up to the girl, gently grabbing her hand and holding it in his. "I've always cared about you in some way, especially watching you grow from a beta to a beautiful, powerful Alpha." Derek gently pulled her closer to him, until they were chest to chest. "I've lost almost everything and everyone I've ever cared about or loved. Admitting that I loved you just made you an easy target to be taken away from me. I didn't want that to happen so I tried to hide how I felt. Plus, you weren't legal." He said with a chuckle. Sophia reached out with her free hand, wrapping it around his body and curling her fingers into his leather jacket.

"Well… I am 18 now." She said, leaning up to him. Derek chuckled and leaned down, his free hand cupping her cheek. "So, where are you going?" She asked, tilting her head, her lips brushing against his.

"I'm taking Cora back down to South America." He said and Sophia pulled away a little more, pouting. He chuckled.

"Are you coming back?" She asked and he shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I think you should."

"Why is that?"

"Because you'll be back with me." She said with an innocent smile and he chuckled.

"That is the best reason to come back, huh?"

"Yep." He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her again. She wrapped both arm around his neck as both of his hands gripped her waist.

"Where's you cellphone?" He asked.

"In my pocket." She said and when she didn't make a move to get it, Derek chuckled.

"Make me do all the hard work." He said, reaching into her back pocket and pulling it out, typing something into it before putting it back. "You can call or text at any time. I'll make sure to answer." He pressed a kiss to her cheek and she smiled.

"I'll hold you to that." She cupped his face, pulling him down for one more kiss as he grabbed his keys and his bag before walking with Sophia up the steps. He took one more look into the loft before sliding the door shut. They walked down the stairs and to the Toyota before got in.

"Oh, by the way…" He reached into his jacket pocket and held out three keys for her to take. "The silver one is for the loft, the gold one is for the storage locker, and the biggest one is for the Camaro." She looked up at him surprised. "It needs to be driven." She tried not to jump up and down as she leaned in the window, pressing a passionate kiss to his lips. He chuckled as he kissed her back.

"Can we go now?" Cora asked and Sophia looked at her, she was trying not to laugh. Sophia rolled her eyes.

"I'll hopefully see you soon." She said, stepping down so that they could leave. Derek gave her a smile before she started the car and putting it into drive. Sophia watched them drive away much like she had done just last night when Derek was supposed to run. The redhead sighed and looked at the keys in her hands. Everything was good… everything was quiet… hopefully everything will stay that way… including Derek coming home to her.


	36. Anchors

**A/N: Sorry about the wait! Things have been a little crazy here and then I got sick and lost motivation… Hopefully, this will bring back the motivation and get me writing again! I hope you guys enjoy and I'm going to try and have one or two more chapters posted by next week! Please don't forget to review, fave, and follow! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia slipped on a pair of dark blue skinny jeans before putting on a long sleeve dark purple shirt. She put on a pair of brown leather knee-high boots with a brown leather jacket; she pulled her hair out of the back of the jacket before putting it up into a ponytail at the nap of her neck. She turned to the mirror hanging on her wall, looking at her appearance before she grabbed her make-up. She did the minimal things before stepping back to check her reflection once again. She smiled to herself before she put everything back where it belong and made her way down the stairs.

Her parents were already at work so the house was quiet as she grabbed an apple from the basket on the counter. She grabbed her keys from the small door-side table before heading outside. She closed and locked the door behind her as she turned to the driveway. She smiled as she unlocked the door of the familiar Camaro before getting inside. Shortly after Derek had left, her Challenger had taken up residence in the garage so that she could drive the Camaro. She felt closer to Derek when she did. She held the apple in her teeth as she put the key into the ignition and started the engine. The car rumbled to life before she put it into reverse, pulling out onto the main road before heading to school.

She pulled into the parking lot a few minutes later, smiling at everyone's shocked expression when she got out. She turned, locking the doors behind her before putting the keys into her pocket. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder before making her way towards the school. As she passed a trash can, she threw the core, making it inside. She fist-pumped before continuing on her way to find Scott and Stiles. Who knew dating Derek would cause her life to seem just a little brighter?

**XXX**

"Well, well, look who's no longer the crazy one." Lydia said loud enough for Sophia to hear when she walked into the building. Sophia's brow furrowed as she looked up. The strawberry blonde was walking ahead of Scott, Stiles, and Allison. Sophia walked over to them, avoiding a few students as she walked before the four of them saw her.

"What are you talking about?" She asked when she stopped in front of them, looking them over.

"Scott, Allison, and I have been seeing things we became the sacrifices for our parents." Stiles explained, looking at the girl as she began walking beside them as they all made their way to their first classes.

"We're not crazy." Allison said to Lydia, ignoring the conversation Sophia and Stiles were having.

"Hallucinating? Sleep paralysis? Yeah, you guys are fine." Lydia said, stopping to turn back to the three of them.

"We did die and come back to life." Scott said, looking at Stiles and Allison. "That's gotta have some side effects, right?" He asked and Sophia nodded.

"Deaton said it would affect you guys for the rest of your lives so… I would think so." She said unhelpfully with a shrug. The bell rang signally for classes to begin.

"We keep an eye on each other, okay?" Stiles said to them. Scott, Allison, Lydia, and Sophia nodded.

"Alright, if you need me, text me." Sophia said, beginning to walk backwards to her class. This was one of the only bad sides about being a grade ahead, she couldn't be with them in case something happened and it was usually by text she found out.

"We will." Scott, Stiles, and Allison said at the same time. She nodded and made her way to her science class.

"And Lydia, stop enjoying this so much." Sophia heard Stiles say to Lydia. The redhead couldn't help but chuckle.

**XXX**

Sophia leaned against the locker next to Stiles' for a moment, watching Scott and Stiles talk.

"Maybe we need a little more time to get back to normal." Scott said to Stiles, glancing over at Sophia.

"Yeah, try not to forget we hit the reset button on a supernatural beacon for supernatural creatures." Stiles said as he opened his lock on his locker. He glanced at Scott. "There's a pretty good chance things are never going back to normal."

"Yeah." Scott muttered. Stiles tried to open the lock but it wouldn't budge. Stiles looked at his lock, trying to figure something out while Scott looked over his shoulder, at someone. Glancing over her own, Sophia saw the new girl looking right back at Scott. Sophia smiled a little before turning back to Stiles. She looked up at Scott and the smile fell from her face quickly.

"Um… Scott… you're eyes." She said, drawing Stiles' attention away from his lock to their best friend.

"What about them?" He asked, looking up at them.

"They're starting to glow." Stiles said, trying not to panic in the middle of the hall.

"You mean right now?" Scott asked.

"No Scott, like fifteen minutes ago, yes right now." Sophia said, glaring at the boy. "Stop it." Sophia said, knowing her own eyes were beginning to flash in response to Scott's new Alpha eyes.

"Stop it both of you!" Stiles said, looking between the two Alphas on each side of him.

"I can't… I can't control it." Scott began panting, covering his eyes with his hand. Sophia closed her eyes and look in a deep breath, she could feel her eyes return to their normal emerald color.

"Alright, just keep your head down. Look down, come on." Stiles said, looking around before reaching over to hold Scott's head down and ushering him into an empty classroom. Sophia smiled at the people watching them before following them and closing the door tightly behind. Scott shrugged off his book bag and his jacket, making his way to the back of the class. Stiles tried to follow him before Scott turned, holding his hand out to stop the other boy.

"Get back. Get away from me." He said, growling slightly. Sophia laid a hand on Stiles' shoulder as she walked around him.

"Scott, it's okay." She said, watching him closely.

"I don't know what's going to happen. Get back." Scott turned back to them; his fangs had dropped as well. Sophia was fighting off the urge to do the same thing, she was never this affected by Scott's shift before he became an Alpha. It had to be an Alpha thing, she figured, especially considering she was usually affected by Derek's Alpha shift as well. He was panting and as he brought his hands up and clenching them into fists; his claws were out so they sunk deeply into his palm, causing blood to pour down his arms. Scott growled and Sophia couldn't help but growl back. Scott dropped to his knees before sitting back and leaning against the desk behind him. He looked down at his hands, they were back to normal… so were his eyes. Stiles dropped his own bag as he and Sophia moved closer to the other Alpha. Both of them knelt down beside him as he looked at his bloody hands.

"Pain makes you human." He said, panting still.

"Guys, I hate being the barrier of bad news but… I don't think it's just in your heads." Sophia said, turning to look at Stiles before looking back at Scott. They both nodded their heads at her, realizing that everything that she may have been right.

**XXX**

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Sophia spent her night at her computer; looking up the "symptoms" Scott, Allison, and Stiles said they had. She remembered not eating and falling asleep somewhere around 3:30 in the morning. When she woke up, she was still sitting at her desk with her computer in sleep mode. With a yawn and a stretch, she got dressed and made her way downstairs. Her dinner from last night was in the fridge, covered with saran wrap. She took it out and warmed it up, eating it quickly before making her way to school.

**XXX**

At lunch, she squeezed herself between Scott and Stiles; Allison, Lydia, and Isaac where there as well. "Okay, so what happens to a person who has a near-death experience and comes out of it seeing things?" Scott asked his friends after throwing Sophia a small smile. She smiled back before throwing her bag under her feet.

"And is unable to tell what's real or not?" Stiles added.

"And is being haunted by demonic visions of dead relatives?" Allison said as well. Sophia tilted her head, looking at the brunette.

"If we're being honest, she was a demon." Allison glared at her and she shrugged her shoulders, taking a sip of her vanilla Pepsi.

"They're all locked up because they're insane." Isaac said, finally looking up at the group.

"Ha. Can you at least try to be helpful, please?" Stiles said to the other boy sarcastically.

"For half of my childhood, I was locked in a freezer. So, being helpful is kind of a new thing for me." Isaac said and Sophia chuckled.

"So sassy… I like it." Scott rolled his eyes and dropped his head on his folded forearms.

"Hey, dude, are you still milking that?" Stiles asked him.

"Yeah, maybe I am still milking that." Isaac said back.

"Hi." A girl said and all of the teens turned to her. Sophia recognized her as the new girl she'd seen yesterday, the one Scott was looking at. She was cute in Sophia's opinion. "Hi, sorry. I couldn't help overhearing what you guys were talking about." Lydia threw a glance at everyone else and Stiles fidgeted uncomfortably. "And I think I actually might know what you're talking about. There's a Tibetan word for it. It's called 'Bardo.' It literally means 'in-between state.' The state between life and death."

"And what do they call you?" Lydia asked rudely and Sophia glared at the younger redhead.

"Rude if you were asking me." Sophia said and Lydia turned to her to retort. Sophia lifted her hand, blocking her eyes from the new girl and flashing her Alpha eyes at Lydia. Sophia knew it wouldn't actually affect the other girl but she took a hint and quieted down before turning back to the other girl.

"Kira." Scott answered. She smiled at him before everyone turned their attention to Scott. He looked at all of them. "She's in our history class."

"So are you talking Bardo in Tibetan Buddhism or Indian?" Lydia asked, turning her attention to Kira once more.

"Either, I guess. But all the stuff you guys were just saying?" She asked before slipping down into the small sliver of room by Stiles. "All that happens in Bardo. There are different progressive states where you can have hallucinations. Some you see, some you just hear. And you can be visited by peaceful or wrathful deities."

"Wrathful deities?" Isaac asked. "And what are those?"

"Like demons." She answered.

"Demons." Stiles said back. "Why not?" He said, turning to look at Sophia and Scott.

"Hold on, if there are different progressive states, then what's the last one?" Allison asked Kira.

"Death. You die." Kira said simply and Sophia sighed… of course. Time to see Deaton.

**XXX**

"It sounds like your subconscious is trying to communicate with you." Deaton said after flipping the sign to closed.

"Well, how do I tell my subconscious to use a language that I actually know?" Stiles said as the three best friends followed the emissary back into the clinic.

"Do you remember what the sign language looked like? The placement and movement of the hands?" Deaton asked.

"You know sign language?" Scott asked, surprised.

"I know a little." Deaton answered. "Let me give it a shot." Stiles proceeded to show them all of the hand signs that he had seen. "_When is a door not a door?_" Deaton explained.

"_When is a door not a door?_" Stiles asked.

"When it's ajar." Scott answered.

"You're kidding me? A riddle? My subconscious wants to tell me a riddle?" Stiles asked the man.

"Not necessarily." Deaton answered him. "When the three of you went under the water, when you crossed from unconsciousness to a kind of superconsciousness… You essentially opened a door in your minds." He explained.

"Okay, so… what does that mean?" Sophia asked. "That the door's still open?"

"Ajar." Deaton said, looking from the girl to the two boys.

"A door into our minds?" Stiles asked slowly.

"I did tell you it was risky." Deaton said back to them.

"What do we do about it?" Scott asked.

"Well, that's difficult to answer."

"No, wait a second, I know that look. That's the '_we know exactly what's wrong with you, but we have no idea how to fix it_' look." Stiles said, pointing at the man.

"One thing I do know is having an opening like that into your mind, it's not good." Deaton answered him. "You each need to close that door and you need to do it as soon as possible." The three of them looked at each other before walking out of the clinic. They were about to get in (or in Scott's case, on) their respective vehicles when a police SUV pulled up and the Sheriff stepped out of it.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"I'm here because I could use some help. Actually… your help." He said, motioning to Scott and Sophia.

"Why us?" The boy asked.

"Because eight years ago, almost an entire family died in a car accident. One of the bodies, a young girl named Malia, was never found. There's enough evidence to have me thinking that…that a werewolf could have caused the accident, and then dragged her body away. If you could somehow get a lock on her scent, if you could somehow help me find her body, it might provide the missing clue." The man explained.

"But what if it was a werewolf?" Sophia asked.

"Well, there's somebody out there who murdered an entire family. Someone who still needs to be caught."

**XXX**

"This is one of the stupidest things we've ever done." Sophia whispered to Scott and Stiles as she got out of the Police SUV and the boys got out of the Jeep. They walked quietly onto the porch, stepping over the rat trap Malia's father had set up. They walked over to a door that leads directly into Malia's room. Stiles opened the door slightly, stopping when he realized that the door creaked. With a deep breath, he opened it quickly, stepping in quickly with Scott and Sophia doing the same before he closed the door as quietly as possible. They began their search. Sophia smelled the air while Stiles threw things at Scott for him to sniff. At one point, Sophia was nailed with a stuffed animal to the face. She glared at Stiles before picking it up and smelling it. It smelled the same as everything else in the room.

"All I'm getting is some animal smell." Scott said in a low voice.

"What about you Sophia?" Stiles said, his voice just as low as he turned to the girl, making sure he could trust Scott's nose.

"Same." Sophia said but she just couldn't place her finger on it.

"Well, what kind of animal?" Stiles asked, holding up something else for Scott to sniff. There was a growling sound and Sophia turned slowly.

"Dog." The werewolves said together before Stiles turned. A large Rottweiler was standing in the doorway. Sophia wanted to laugh so badly when Stiles hid whatever he was holding in his jacket but she knew this was a serious situation.

"Hi puppy. Get rid of it." Stiles whispered.

"Me?" Scott asked.

"How is he supposed to do that?" Sophia asked, making sure to keep the bed between her and the dog.

"Either of you, I don't care which one. Just glow your eyes at it or something… Be the Alpha." Stiles whispered back. The dog just kept watching them.

"I can't, I don't have control." Scott whispered back before they both looked at Sophia. She glanced at them before turning back to the dog before doing a double take at the boys. She sighed softly.

"Fine." She said, moving slowly so the dog didn't start barking or attack one of them. She knelt down slightly, making her eyes glow but as soon as they changed color, the dog began barking. The boys jumped from their place behind the redhead as she jumped as well, eyes losing their red glow.

"Apollo! Apollo, shut the hell up!" A man called from the other end of the house and the dog stopped barking but continued to watch them. Sophia glanced over her shoulder and had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as Scott and Stiles almost clung to each other. The dog whined before it turned around and trotted off to wherever the man was. Stiles let out a breath before moving onto something else. He handed Scott a book and Sophia a stuffed animal.

"Anything?" Stiles asked, Scott shook his head, not even bothering to sniff the book.

"All I'm getting is that dog." The younger Alpha said. Sophia nodded her head. Sophia began moving around the room while Stiles found something that maybe useful to them, snapping a picture on his phone.

**XXX**

The three of them got out of the Jeep, walking over to the Sheriff as he leaned against the SUV.

"Sorry." Sophia said quietly. "We tried but it was so long ago and with the dog…" She explained.

"It's okay. It was a long shot." The Sheriff said, nodding to the two werewolves. "In fact, it was a pretty terrible idea. I think I just ripped a wound open in that poor man. I never should have brought you guys here. I don't know what I was thinking. Thanks for trying, alright?"

"Yeah." Sophia and Scott answered. He patted Scott on the shoulder before giving Sophia a hug and climbing into the SUV.

"See you at home." He said to Stiles. The boy waved as the man pulled out.

"Aren't there a lot of cases that go unsolved?" Scott asked Stiles.

"Yeah, I just think this is one he felt like he could've figured out right now." Stiles answered.

"Why's it so important now?" Sophia asked, leaning against the side of Stiles' Jeep.

"He wants to be able to solve one more while he's still sheriff." Stiles said, turning to his friends.

"What do you mean, _'still sheriff'_?" Scott asked confused.

**XXX**

"So, how was your day honey?" Sophia's mother asked her as they all sat down for dinner. Sophia looked up at her and shrugged her shoulders.

"It was okay." She said, taking a bite of her mashed potatoes.

"Anything supernatural?" Her father asked. They were still trying to get used to the whole idea and usually, dinner always involved some sort of supernatural talk. Just a couple of nights ago it was about Scott becoming an Alpha.

"Nothing major." Sophia said, not telling them about the "open doors" and sneaking into a man's house to try and find the scent of his dead daughter. That seemed a little over the top, even to Sophia. "On a non-supernatural note… have you heard about the John's impeachment?" She asked, looking up at her parents.

"I did… I don't see how they could do that to him. He's a good sheriff." Her mother said, taking a bite of her roast beef.

"I can. When was the last time he even solved a case?" Her dad said, taking a sip of his beer. Sophia looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, considering our town is a beacon for supernatural creatures and he didn't find out about them until just a few months ago… I think it's justified. Besides, it's Scott's dad doing the investigation." Sophia looked back down at her plate.

"Rafael's back?" Her mom asked and Sophia nodded her head before taking a sip of her water.

"He'll figure it all out and then we'll be able to have a sheriff that is able to do his job." Her dad said, taking a bite of his food. Her parents jumped when she slammed her fork down onto the table.

"How can you say that?! Do you not realize what I just said!? This town is going to draw in all kinds of different supernatural creatures and you want to fire the one law enforcement officer who actually knows about them? That's stupid!" Sophia said, standing up, her voice rising slightly.

"Sophia…" Her mother said, trying to calm her down.

"Maybe the next guy could figure it out with having to have his halfway delinquent son right in the middle of it." Her father said and Sophia set her jaw, trying not to grind her teeth together as she turned and left the table.

"Sophia! Where are you going?" Her mother called for her.

"To Stiles'." She grabbed her jacket and her keys before slamming the door shut behind her. Once on the main road, she spun the tires on the Camaro as she made her way to Stiles' house.

**XXX**

When they were younger and Sophia would spend the night with Stiles, they would always share a bed and now, even as a seventeen year old and an eighteen year old, they do the same thing when something is bothering them. His dad's impeachment and the huge blow-out with her own dad was the reason for this quiet cuddle session. Stiles was lying on his back, looking up at the ceiling. His left arm was behind his head while his right one was wrapped around Sophia's shoulders. The redhead was lying on her side beside Stiles' with her head resting on his chest. The room was silent, both teens unmoving except for the gentle tap of Stiles' pointer finger against Sophia's shoulder. The silence was disturbed by a knocking on Stiles' door. The two sat up when Scott walked through the door, fully dressed.

"Hey, what's going on?" Stiles asked.

"The three of us." He said. "We're going to go out and find a body. A dead body." Sophia nodded, climbing over Stiles to get to her duffle bag.

"I remember about a year ago this little crazy adventure starting that way… please don't get bit Stiles. I can't take both of you being werewolves." The boys chuckled as she slipped past them to go into the bathroom to change.

**XXX**

Sophia remembers the night Scott got bit… it was a lot like the night they were currently walking around in… with one less crazy Alpha though. Sophia pulled one of Stiles' jackets tighter around her body. "You know, if my dad's right, that means there's another werewolf in town we haven't met yet." Stiles said to them as they walked.

"I know." Scott said, looking between his phone and the surrounded woods.

"If it turns out to be something like triplets that form into, like, a three-headed hound of hell, I'm seriously not up for that." Stiles said and Sophia scoffed.

"You and me both." She said, glancing around them.

"Me either, especially since I can't control my own transformation anymore." They walked a bit further before there was a howl, causing Stiles to flail and grab Scott, knocking the phone out of his hands.

"Relax Stiles, it's just a Coyote." She said while patting the boy on the arm. They looked down into the ravine and saw that the phone had landed in a pubble. Scott turned to glare at Stiles.

"Sorry buddy. I hate Coyotes so much." Stiles said, releasing Scott. "They always sound like they're mailing some tiny, helpless little animal." Scott and Sophia jumped down easily while Stiles had to climb down, he tried to make it graceful but with Stiles…it was anything but. Scott knelt down and picked the phone up, whipping it off with the sleeve of his jacket.

"It still works." He said to his best friends before looking at the screen again.

"Let me see the flashlight." Stiles said to Scott, taking it from Scott's hand and shining down the ravine. "I think we found it." He said, making his way over to something. Sophia looked closer and saw that it was an overturned car, the one that the Tate family wife and daughters died in.

"Why wouldn't they move it? Isn't it evidence?" Scott asked as he and Sophia caught up with Stiles.

"Probably too much of a pain in the ass to tow out." Stiles answered, walking closer to the car.

"Especially if it was thought to be an accident at the time. No reason to waste that time and effort." Sophia said as she watched Stiles walk closer to the car. Stiles shined the light around the car looking at it before something caught his eye.

"Look at this." He said to his friends and they all stepped closer. There were claw marks on the metal of the doors and they were unbelievable, definitely not from a normal coyote or (if California had them) wolf. "See those?" Stiles asked and Scott put his hands on the marks, his fingers lined up perfectly with them. "Animal claws would be closer together, right? A lot closer."

"Then it was a werewolf." Scott said, almost as if finalizing it.

"So my dad was right." Stiles said before kneeling down to look inside the car. Scott and Sophia knelt down next to him before, this time, Sophia saw something. Stiles reached in and pulled out a doll. They looked it for a minute before it spoke, saying _I'm hungry_. Stiles screamed and dropped the doll as Sophia and Scott jumped back. He took in a deep breath before turning to them. "I think I just had a minor heart attack." Sophia sighed, chuckling softly. Suddenly, there was growling from the tree line. Sophia looked up and saw two pairs of glowing beta blue eyes.

"Hey Stiles." Scott said, gaining the boy's attention. "Please tell me you two see that." He said to them. Stiles stood up and walked over to them.

"I see it." He said. The eyes were only there for a moment longer before they turned to run. Sophia and Scott made the split second decision to chase after it. "Wait, hey! Scott! Sophia! Wait!" Stiles called after them but they didn't stop. Sophia, being a bit faster, took the lead, following it. It was in a full form, like Laura was when the boys dug up her body but it wasn't very big. Not wide and stocky like you would imagine a wolf but tall and lanky as well as not a similar color. Sophia let her eyes shift to red as she continued to run. It was a long and exhausting chase when they jumped over a small canyon and came face to face with the creature they had been chasing. Like Sophia thought, it wasn't a wolf… it was a coyote. Sophia was closer, her face inches from its jaws when she heard Scott land behind her. Sophia could feel that her eyes were still red before the coyote did something… strange and unexpected. It's normal brown eyes turned a chilling and familiar shade of beta blue, almost ice blue. Sophia watched the animal for a moment before finding her voice.

"Malia?" She asked quietly. The next moment, the coyote turned and ran deeper into the woods. Sophia let her eyes return to normal.

"You think that's her?" Scott asked as Sophia settled to lie on the ground.

"I don't know… maybe… I mean… I don't know what made me say it…" Sophia turned to look at where the coyote had run off to. "Remember what Derek said, the bite changes you into a were-creature but it doesn't guarantee you'll be a wolf." She sat up and looked at him. He nodded. She reached into Stiles' jacket and pulled out her phone. "I'm texting Derek." She said, writing up a new text, she glanced briefly at the texts they had sent a few days ago, smiling softly. She hit the send button before getting up and dusting herself off. "Come on, let's go get Stiles." Scott nodded and stood up as well.

_**To Big Bad (11:54 pm)**_

_**Hey Big Bad, we got a situation. Give me a call when you can, k? It's kind of important, so ASAP! 3**_


	37. More Bad Than Good

**A/N: Here's another chapter! Hope you guys enjoy and please don't forget to fave, follow, and review! It would mean a lot to me! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia and Scott ran back to Stiles, only to find him not there. Sophia sighed she took off running again. She could hear Scott going in a different direction before a few minutes later, she literally ran into the both of them. They all screamed before realizing it was the other two. "Oh." Stiles said as they panted form all of the running. "I think I found something."

"So did we." Scott said, motioning between himself and Sophia.

"Me first." Stiles said as he led them to a small cave and inside were children toys and a jacket.

"It's a coyote den." Stiles said, turning to look back at the werewolves.

"Werecoyote." Sophia said, she had been right. That may have very well been Malia Tate. Stiles stepped deeper inside, picking up the jacket.

"You see this? This is Malia's." He said. "Remember, it's the same one she was wearing in the photo." There were a couple different toys lying around that Scott picked up.

"We shouldn't be in here guys." Sophia said from by the den opening. They both turned to her.

"What do you mean?" Stiles asked.

"She won't come back now, we just invaded her home. Our scent's going to be everywhere and with Scott and I being werewolves… that's immediate danger to her right there. In the wild, coyotes are weaker than wolves, they submit to them and I would think that the same goes for werewolves and werecoyotes."

"If she's not going to come back here, where's she going to go?" Scott asked. Sophia shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know." She said.

"Could you track her now? You think you got her scent?" Stiles asked, glancing between the two wolves. Sophia look in a deep breath, locking her scent away to her memory.

"Maybe. But I'm better at this when I'm a full wolf and I'm still worried that if I do it, I won't be able to turn back." Scott said but Sophia nodded.

"I got it." She said, glancing outside the den for a moment.

"Did Derek answer you yet?" Scott asked and Sophia pulled out her phone.

"No." Which was strange, he always answered her back right away or within the first five minutes.

"Well then… can you help us? Be knowledgeable Derek Hale for the day?" Stiles asked and Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"You've already done so much for us, just keep doing it please." Scott said and Sophia nodded.

"I can do what I can but we're still going to need someone else to help." She said as she watched Stiles rub his lip with his thumb.

"This is basically a crime scene, right?" Scott asked Stiles. "I think it might be a little out of my boss's league."

"And more my dad's." Stiles said. Scott nodded.

**XXX**

They waited as Stiles' dad checked everything out. He came over to them with something in his hand. "You're sure it was her?" He asked.

"I looked her right in the eyes. And they glowed just like mine." Sophia said, drawing the man's attention to her.

"It makes sense, Dad." Stiles said, backing up her statement.

"But it wasn't a girl. It was a four-legged coyote, right?" He asked.

"Well, okay. But yeah, see, that's the point that we don't exactly have figured out yet." Stiles said, tilting his head.

"But…" Sophia said, drawing their attention. "If it was a full moon and she did change, managing a full body shift into a coyote, while her mom was driving, then anything could've happened. Werewolves, especially ones that experience a first time shift are extremely bloodthirsty and dangerous. After each full moon we build up a tolerance for it. If it was something like her first shift, she would have had no idea what she was." Sophia explained to the man, both boys nodding behind her.

"Horrible things could have happened." Stiles said from her left. "Ripping, shredding, tearing things."

"Which is probably what caused the accident." Scott said from her right.

"Think about it, Dad, alright." Stiles said, getting the man's attention back. "They're driving, Malia starts to change, she goes out of control, the mom crashes and everybody dies…"

"Except Malia." Sophia threw in.

"She blames herself, alright, goes off running into the woods and eventually becomes trapped in the body of a coyote." Stiles said, sounding more and more unsure.

"To handle the shift…" Sophia began as the Sheriff turned to her. "You need something that makes you human. An anchor. Her family was and should have been her anchor if she had realized what she was. When her family died, there was no anchor, nothing to keep her from floating around in the proverbial sea, unable to shift back into a human." She explained to him.

"That makes sense." The man said and the teens all sighed. "In a Chinese folktale. Guys, this is… this is insane." Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, because everything in this town is normal." She said, flashing her Alpha eyes as she rolled them.

"I need this kept quiet." The man said to them. "The three of you, not a word. I don't want anyone hearing about this. I especially don't want Mr. Tate hearing about this." Sophia glanced over at the boys, Scott's attention as somewhere else. "Scott? Scott!" He turned back to the sheriff.

"Sorry. What did you say?" No sooner than Scott asked that, another car pulled up.

"Oh, hell." The Sheriff said and Sophia knew exactly who it was. Agent McCall got out of the driver's seat with Mr. Tate getting out of the passenger seat. Sophia scooted closer to Scott as the men walked over. The man took the blanket that the Sheriff was holding.

"Mr. Tate?" Agent McCall asked the man.

"It's hers." He said, cradling it in his hands.

"Alright, wait here." McCall said as he went to move.

"Dad." Scott said, stopping the man.

"I'll talk to you in a minute. I wouldn't mind hearing how your mom's okay with you running around in the woods this late." He said before walking right past his son. Sophia sighed and looked at the boys.

"We got to find her." She said and they nodded.

**XXX**

"Here's where we found the den." Stiles said, showing the map to Allison as they stood in the back of the class. Sophia was an aid for this class so she was able to be with them. "It's right in the middle of the hiking trails."

"Well, that could narrow it down. Coyotes travel in fixed trails. But I think you're right about her not going back to the den." Allison said as she looked over at Sophia. "Coyotes don't like wolves. And they're really smart. If they don't want to be heard, they actually walk on their toes." Stiles turned to Allison.

"Coyotes tip-toe?" He asked. Allison rolled her eyes.

"They tip-toe." She repeated.

"That's what you're worried about?" Sophia asked. Stiles shrugged before turning to Scott. The bell rang.

"I got to go, but send me the pinned location." Allison said as she made her way back into the hall.

"Okay." Stiles said as the three of them began moving. Sophia sat at her desk in the corner, where she graded papers or did whatever the teacher needed her to do. Stiles sat down in his seat before Scott was stopped by Kira. Sophia felt the corner of her lips twitch as she tuned into the conversation as she got ready.

"Hey. I'm Kira. You knew that. I knew you knew that. I don't know why I just told you that again. Anyway, I have something for you." She said, taking her bag off her shoulder to look through it. She was adorable. A little ditsy but adorable none the less.

"For me?" Scott asked.

"Yeah." Kira answered as she began to riffle through her bag. "About the bardo. My explanation was sort of all over the place, so I did some research and I printed it out for you." Scott chuckles.

"Ah, you didn't have to do that." He was scratching the back of his neck, a nervous habit.

"It only took a couple of hours." Kira said as she looked up at him and Sophia chuckled. Oh, she had it bad.

"Wow. Then you really didn't have to do that." Scott said shocked.

"I swear I printed it out." Kira said, more to herself, as she checked through her bag once again.

"Kira." Her dad came in with a stack of papers in his hand. "You forgot all the research you did for that boy you like." He said and it took everything in Sophia not to bust out laughing. Kira took the papers in a shocked daze while Scott looked just as shocked. Kira turned slowly, holding out the papers for Scott. He took them with a small smile on his face. She looked up at him and smiled back before sitting in her desk. She dropped her head in her hands. Scott sat down in his desk as the teacher, Mr. Yukimura, began class.

"We were just talking about internment camps and prisoners of war. There's a passage in our reading that I'd like to go over in more detail… Who would like to come up and read aloud for us?" He asked. He looked around and room and no one volunteered. "Mr. Stilinski, how about you?"

"Oh, maybe someone else could." He said, trying to get out of it. Sophia kept grading but kept an eye on her friend.

"Everyone participates in my class, Mr. Stilinski." Mr. Yukimura said. Stiles sighed before getting up and walking over to the podium which held the book. Sophia put her pen down as she gave Stiles her full attention. As he settled behind the podium, it only took a moment for him to quickly get pale. He gripped the sides of the podium as he began to shake slightly. He looked up at the class, panting slightly. Sophia got up from her desk at the same time Scott got up from his.

"Stiles? You okay?" Scott asked. Stiles began breathing heavier before he almost fell to the right, he had to use the podium to stay upright. Scott glanced at Sophia, who nodded and stepped closer to Stiles' right side, Scott on his left. "I should take him to the nurse's office." Scott said quickly as he and Sophia helped Stiles down the hall and into the bathroom. Stiles stumbled in, hitting both sides of the door frame before actually making it into the bathroom. Sophia turned and locked the door behind her as Scott talked to Stiles. Stiles stepped up to the sink and looked in the mirror.

"It's a dream, it's a dream. This is just a dream." Stiles said to himself.

"No it's not. This is real. You're here. You're here with us." Scott said to him.

"What do you do? How do you tell if you're awake or dreaming?" Sophia asked, standing on the other side of Stiles.

"Your fingers… you count your fingers." Stiles said, one hand flailing slightly. "You have extra fingers in dreams." Scott looked at Sophia, who nodded, before he looked down at his hands. He held them up.

"How many do I have? Hey! Look at me. Come on, Stiles." Scott said, getting the other boys attention. "Look at my hands and count with me." Stiles managed to count all ten of Scott's fingers before his breathing began to mellow out slightly. He looked at Scott's hands again before glancing back at Sophia. He slid down the wall next to the sink, trying to catch the rest of his breath. Sophia and Scott knelt down in front of him.

"What the hell is happening to me?" Stiles asked.

"We'll figure it out. You're going to be okay." Scott said reassuringly.

"Am I?" Stiles asked. Sophia reached over and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together and holding it tightly.

"Yes, you are." She said, hoping to sound strong and encouraging. She couldn't imagine everything they're going through right now.

"Are you?" Stiles asked Scott. "Scott, you can't transform. Allison's being haunted by her dead aunt. And I'm straight up losing my mind. We can't do this. We can't… We can't help Malia. We can't help anyone." Sophia scooted closer to Stiles so that their legs were touching when she settled on the ground. Scott sat down as well, leaning towards the she-wolf slightly.

"We can try. We can always try." He said, looking at his best friends.

**XXX**

Sophia walked beside Stiles as his dad explained the situation. Apparently the coyote, a.k.a Malia, had been at the school. "A couple of students said they saw it running across the field and back into the woods. Thank God, nobody got hurt."

"What happens if she does hurt someone?" Sophia asked, looking around Stiles to look at the Sheriff. He sighs.

"Most likely they'll have to put it down." He said as they continued to walk.

"Put her down? Dad, try not to forget there's a girl in there, one that you'll be killing. Come on, you aren't back to not believing, are you?" Stiles asked. John stopped and turned to the two teenagers.

"I believe there are a lot of things I don't understand yet. But that doesn't mean everything and anything imaginable is suddenly possible. Now, are you 100% sure that this is a girl and not an animal?" He asked, looking between his son and his best friend.

"Yes." They said at the same time. John looked into their eyes.

"Sophia's sure." Stiles said and the girl nodded. They turned and saw Scott at the end of the hallway. Stiles glanced at his dad and Sophia before turning so his back was to the new Alpha. "Scott, have you been listening?" He asked and the other boy nodded. John nodded his head.

"Alright, let's get this figured out. Come on." They walked to the locker room. Scott was sitting on the bench, listening to Kira talk to her father when Stiles grabbed his backpack, seeing that it was ripped.

"I think I know what she was looking for." Stiles said, walking over to where Scott was sitting, Sophia walking behind the human. He unzipped his bag and reached in, pulling out the doll from the Tate car. Scott and Sophia sighed at the same time.

"You took the doll from the car?" Scott asked.

"Didn't you learn anything from when you took the wolfsbane rope when Scott was just turned?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah, I thought you could use it, you know, for like her scent." Stiles said.

"Where did you get that? Where did you find this?" A familiar and unwelcomed voice said. Sophia sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. Mr. Tate was at the school… why? He snatched the doll from Stiles, holding it gently in his hands. "It belonged to my daughter." John walked past them, laying a hand between Sophia's shoulders before stepping up to Mr. Tate.

"Mr. Tate, I don't know how you heard about this. If you got your own police scanner or what… but you can't be here." John went to push the man out the door when he flinched and John must've touched something because he moved his jacket back, revealing a gun.

"I have a permit." Mr. Tate said.

"California schools are gun free zones, permit or no permit. You need to leave, Mr. Tate. Now." John told the man. Another officer came to pull him out when he slipped away from him and turned his attention back to John.

"You find that animal. You find that thing." He said before he left. Scott turned to Sophia and she looked at him. There was a plan coming up.

**XXX**

"Okay, so let me get this straight… we're meeting the former Alpha twins at Derek's loft to discuss how to change a were-coyote back into a girl. That sounds like a perfect plan." Sophia said as she turned down another street.

"_Look, I know it sounds crazy…" _Sophia snorted._ "But we need to know how to do this. I'm too afraid to even turn into a werewolf right now so you're our only hope and I highly doubt you can do what Peter has done to me." _Scott said over the phone. Sophia rolled her eyes as she stopped at a stop sign.

"Derek's done it to me genius. I know the basics. To actually do what you're planning… I'm definitely going to need a little more insight but why the twins?" She asked as he turned down another street.

"_They're the only Alphas around. I haven't seen Peter in a while."_

"Alright, well… I'm almost there. I'll see you in a few." She said, saying her goodbyes before she hung up the phone. She set it in her cup holder before sighing. She got to the loft and saw Ethan and Aiden sitting on the ground by the door. They stood up when she came over to them. Derek had locked the door to the loft and only she had the key to open it.

"About time." One of them said, she was pretty sure it was Aiden. She glared at him before opening the door and stepping inside. Derek's scent was everywhere with some Cora and Peter mixed in.

"Look…" Sophia said, turning to them when Ethan slide the door closed behind them. "I don't know what your plan is but if you hurt him…" Aiden rolled his eyes.

"We're going to do what was asked of us by Lydia." Ethan said and Sophia watched them for a moment before nodding.

**XXX**

Sophia looked up when she heard the loft door open. She stood and walked over to the main room, seeing Scott, Stiles, and Lydia there. "Hey, are they here?" Stiles asked but before the she-wolf could answer; Ethan and Aiden attacked Scott, punching him before throwing him from the small steps and onto the main floor. Stiles grabbed Lydia and moved her off to the side so they weren't in the middle of anything while Sophia sat down on the coffee table, watching.

Sophia wasn't sure how long Scott let them beat up on him until he spoke, groaning in pain while lying on the floor. "I thought you guys were gonna teach me to roar."

"We are. You do it by giving in." Aiden said to him.

"Giving in and letting go. That's how Deucalion taught us control." Ethan said, leaning down to pick Scott up off the floor.

"Hey, you know, that's funny." Stiles said from where he was with Lydia. "I've actually tried something like this one time using heart monitors and lacrosse balls. But you're right, beating the living crap out of him is probably a lot better." Sophia chuckled, she remembered those easier times.

"That's actually the plan? You kick my ass?" Scott asked them.

"You're afraid to turn. We're going to make you." Aiden said.

"You turn. Then you kick our asses." Ethan said with a smirk.

"And then you roar." Aiden filled in, roaring at Scott.

"You don't think you can let go with us?" Ethan asked.

"You think you're going to hurt us?" Aiden asked as he walked behind Scott and pushed him.

"Come on, McCall. Give it your all." Ethan said, pushing the Alpha back towards Aiden but the omega moved.

"We can always heal." Aiden spoke again. Scott tried to punch them but was easily knocked back over. "You're an Alpha. You want to roar like one, you've got to give it full throttle. You got to be the monster. Become the beast. Become everything you're afraid of."

"That's what gives you power. It gives you strength." Ethan spoke. Scott tried to punch them again, only to be knocked down by Aiden. Sophia rubbed her hands over her face as she watched.

"Giving into it doesn't make you the bad guy." Aiden said.

"As long as you can control it." Ethan said, looking at his brother rather than Scott.

"Sometimes control is a little overrated." Aiden said, leaning down to Scott's level from where he was still on the floor. He kicked the Alpha in the ribs and Sophia couldn't help the growl that came out when Scott cried out in pain. Ethan looked back at her, ready in case she did decide to come at them.

"What if I can't control it? What if I can't turn back?" Scott asked them, blood dripping from his mouth.

"Then it takes over. You become Malia. You get further and further from being human. You turn into an animal or worse… " Ethan spoke to Scott as he came over to him.

"You become Peter." Aiden said and Sophia couldn't disagree with that statement. Scott looked at the ground for a moment before he stood up, his entire demeanor changing. He charged the twins, only to be grabbed by Aiden and thrown on top of the table. Aiden jumped up as well, his feet on either side of Scott's ribs before he began punching Scott, repeatedly, in the face. Sophia ran over and grabbed Aiden's arm, he tried to pull away from her but she held fast.

"What? I thought we were helping him." She growled, her eyes red and her fangs dropping.

"Yeah, well, you help too much." Aiden looked at her in shock before looking down at Scott. She pulled him off of the other Alpha, not caring that he didn't land on his feet. Lydia and Stiles slowly made their way over, Scott turned his head to look at them, spitting blood out of his mouth and onto the floor.

**XXX**

Sophia stepped out of the Camaro, looking around at everyone, they were all there. "Anyone else think we might be doing more harm than good?" Lydia asked.

"We're trying to keep a father from killing his own daughter." Scott said to her.

"Actually trying to keep a guy from killing a coyote who is actually his daughter, who we don't know how to change from a coyote back to his daughter." Isaac said and Sophia rolled her eyes.

"And again with the not helping." Stiles said from where he was standing beside his Jeep. Isaac nodded his head sarcastically back.

"Did you bring it?" Scott asked Allison. She popped the trunk of her car and pulled out a tranquilizer gun. Sophia jumped in surprise when she heard a couple of gunshots. Scott put his helmet on and got back on his bike, Sophia jumped on behind him, holding onto his waist as he took off. She wasn't sure how far they'd ridden before a scream rang out and caused Scott to lose control of the bike. They both fell to the ground, the she-wolf rolling a couple of times before she came to a stop. She tried to take in a deep breath but all of the wind had been knocked out of her. Scott sat up, taking his helmet off. "Are you okay?" He asked her and she nodded, finally getting her breath back.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You okay?" She asked and he nodded back.

"We have to find her." Scott said, standing up. She nodded as she got to her feet.

"You go one way, I go the other? We call each other if one of us sees her?" Sophia asked and he nodded. "Be careful." She said before the two wolves ran in separate directions. Sophia wasn't sure how far she had run but she knew, even going the long way, that she was close to the crash site. Sophia glanced to her right and caught a glimpse of Malia running. She changed her direction slightly to follow the coyote. When she was able to see the crash site, she saw Scott landing in front of Malia. She snarled at him, baring her fangs and pawing at the dirt. Scott looked up at her and Sophia realized that he was in his Beta form. Sophia's eyes changed to red as Scott roared at Malia. The she-wolf watched as the coyote's brown eyes turned blue and she backed away from him. She laid down before the coyote became a girl. Scott stood as Malia looked down at her hands before looking around, taking in everything as a human for the first time in eight years.

**XXX**

At the end of the day, everything seemed to have worked out for them. Sophia stepped inside her house, looking down at her phone. Derek still hadn't texted her back, which was so unlike him. She put the phone back into her pocket before she toed off her shoes. She could hear her mother and father talking in the kitchen. She hadn't seen them since she went to Stiles' house, like, two days ago. She walked into the kitchen, causing her parents to quiet before her mom offered her a small smile.

"Sweetie, you were right." Her dad said and it took Sophia a moment to realize that he was talking about when they talked about John's impeachment. She nodded her head before walking over to give her dad a hug.

"Are you hungry?" Her mom asked, stirring whatever was on the stove. Sophia smiled at her parents before nodding her head.


	38. Galvanzie

**A/N: I'm so, so, so sorry it's taken this long guys! Things have been crazy with school and life but I will seriously try to update more often! Anyway, please let me know what you guys think! Fave, Follow, and review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia sat in the dark locker room, listening to Stiles since he had Scott, himself, and Sophia on a three way call. "Get your asses down here now. We have a job to do." Stiles said.

"Dude, I'm already in bed. And aren't we getting a little old for this?" Scott asked. Sophia tried not to laugh; she knew Scott was in the locker room as well.

"Seriously Stiles. I don't just wake up looking this good, I need my beauty sleep." She said and chuckled when she noticed both boys completely avoiding her comment.

"We do this for coach." Stiles said as if that was all they needed to be convinced.

"I thought we did this to coach." Scott replied.

"Whatever, okay? You know he needs this. He lives for this stuff, you know? He loves it."

"But it's the middle of the night." Scott said. Sophia could hear the locker open not only through the phone but in the room as well.

"12:15 actually. Which means it's after midnight and officially Mischief Night/Day, and, by perfectly awesome coincidence, it also happens to be Coach's birthday. So if you two are not down here in five seconds, I will destroy you. Okay? And I mean five, four, three, two…" Stiles turned around, finally seeing Sophia and Scott standing behind him with their Alpha eyes glowing bright in the darkness of the locker room. She couldn't help but double over laughing as Stiles flailed away from them and fell to the ground.

"One." Scott said with a smile.

"I hate you." Stiles said from his place on the ground, only making Sophia laugh harder.

**XXX**

Sophia smiled as she got out of the Camaro. She's never going to get tired of the shocked and confused faces she gets when she pulls into the school parking lot. She closed and locked the doors behind her, putting her bag on her shoulder when she noticed Scott talking to the twins.

"Hey." Stiles said as he walked over, his eyes on Scott and the twins as well.

"What's this about?" Sophia asked him as they began walking closer.

"I don't know." He said.

"You're back in school?" Scott asked them.

"No, just to talk." Ethan said. Stiles let out a fake laugh as the two of them reached the other werewolves.

"That's kind of a change of pace for you guys." Stiles said as he came to the right side of Scott, Sophia stepping to his left. "Seeing as how usually, you're just hurting, maiming, and killing." Sophia looked around Scott to look at Stiles.

"What is your fascination with maiming and killing?" She asked and he shrugged.

"You need a pack. We need an Alpha." Aiden said to them.

"Yeah. Absolutely not. That's hilarious though." Stiles replied before either Alpha could.

"You came to us for help. We helped." Ethan said to Scott.

"It's not like we had much of a choice did we?" Sophia asked, shifting her weight to her right leg and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, you beat his face into a bloody pulp. That's not helping. In my opinion, that's actually the counter-productive." Stiles said back to them.

"Why would I… we… say yes?" Scott asked, glancing over at Sophia before turning his attention back to the twins.

"We'd add strength. We'd make you more powerful. There's no reason to say no." Aiden said.

"I can think of one." Isaac said as he came to stand by Sophia's side. "Like the two of you holding Derek's claws while Kali impaled Boyd. In fact, I don't know why we're not impaling them right now." Aiden looked over at Isaac, eyes blue and fangs out.

"You wanna try?" He asked. Isaac moved towards him when Sophia reached out and grabbed his arm, letting her eyes bleed red, growling low in her chest. Isaac looked back at her before stepping back to her side. Scott watched the she-wolf carefully as Aiden's eyes and teeth returned to normal. Sophia let her eyes do the same as the growl quieted.

"Sorry but they don't trust you." Scott said, shaking his head. "And neither do I." Scott said as he slipped by the two of them, Sophia and Stiles following him while Isaac brought up the rear.

**XXX**

The three best friends walked into the hallway, Sophia barely managing to avoid a roll of toilet paper that was thrown in their direction. It hit Stiles in the face and Sophia chuckled. "Alright, that's my face!" Stiles called into the hallway as they continued to walk. "Hey guys, good decision." Stiles said, motioning to the two Alphas. "Good Alpha decision."

"I hope so." Scott said as they walked down the hall.

"No, you know so." Stiles said, turning to look at someone who ran by them. They stopped at Stiles' locker so he could get everything he needed for class. While he was putting in his combination, Sophia noticed Scott staring at something. She looked over her shoulder and saw Kira at her own locker. She dropped her stuff while trying to put it into her bag. Stiles glanced at Sophia and Scott before looking over his shoulder.

"What are you looking at?" He asked as he slipped his bag off his shoulder.

"Me?" Scott asked surprised.

"You." Stiles answered. "You looking at her?" He asked, motioning to Kira.

"Her? Who her?" Scott asked again. Stiles was taking a carton of eggs out of his bag and putting them into his locker. Sophia raised an eyebrow at that before turning her attention back to Scott.

"Her her." Sophia said, motioning to the other girl. "Kira. You like her?" She asked, leaning against the locker.

"No." Scott said quickly. "I mean… Yeah, yeah, she's okay. She's new."

"So ask her out." Stiles said, interrupting the Alphas.

"Now?" Scott asked.

"Yes now." Stiles said as he jiggled his lock and hit his locker to make sure it was closed.

"Right now?" Scott asked as Stiles put his bag over his shoulder and they began to walk again.

"Right now." Sophia said. "You're not very smart about dating, are you?" She said, adjusting the strap of her own bag.

"I don't think you get it Scott." Stiles said, patting Scott on the chest. "You're an Alpha. You're the apex predator. Everyone wants you. You're like the hot girl that every guy wants." They stopped in the hallway and Sophia's brow furrowed at the metaphor.

"The hot girl?" Scott asked, looking at Stiles. Isaac stepped up to Sophia and looked at her before looking between Scott and Stiles. He looked back at Sophia. She shook her head.

"Don't ask." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You are the hottest girl." Stiles said and Sophia cleared her throat. They both looked at her. "You and Sophia are the hottest girls." The redhead shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, cause that makes it so much better." She said and Stiles smiled at them before walking away.

"What?" Isaac asked, looking between the three of them.

"I'm the hot girl." Scott said, looking between Sophia and Isaac now.

"Yes, you are." Isaac said and Sophia rolled her eyes, throwing her arms up in the air. Scott smiled and chuckled as he began to walk to his class. Isaac chuckled and watched him for a moment.

"Alright, go to class." She said, pushing him in that direction. "You can stare at the hot girl later." Isaac rolled his eyes before beginning to move to his classroom. Sophia sighed. "It's like a train wreck here." She said but she could hear the fondness in her own voice.

**XXX**

"Son of a bitch!" Finstock yelled from his office. Sophia covered her mouth to keep from laughing too loud. There were chuckles all around the room, Sophia turned to Scott and Stiles, winking at the two as Finstock came out of his office. "Mischief night, Devil's night. I don't care what you call it. You little punks are evil." Several students chuckled, including Sophia who sat behind Finstock's desk as she went over some past quizzes. Having most of her classes being TA classes are pretty cool. She has Math and English (neither are very hard but the Math can get her sometimes). "You think it's funny that every Halloween my house gets egged? A man's house is supposed to be his castle." He hit Scott's desk, stopping the boy from laughing but causing the smile on Stiles' face to grow even bigger. "Mine's a frickin' omelet." Finstock grabbed the present on the desk in front of Sophia. "Oh, this? We're gonna do this again? I don't think so." He said as he dropped the present onto the floor and crushed it under his foot. Whatever was in the box shattered. Finstock bent down and opened it, inside was a mug apparently from Greenberg. She rolled her eyes before sitting back down in the chair.

**XXX**

"Barrow went after kids with glowing eyes?" Isaac asked to make sure he had the story straight. "He said those exact words?" Isaac, Allison, Lydia, and Sophia were following Stiles through the school as he began to explain.

"Yeah and no one knows how he woke up from anesthesia. Just that when they opened him up, they found a tumor full of live flies, which in any other circumstance would be all kinds of awesome." Stiles said and Sophia raised an eyebrow at him.

"Morbid children." She mumbled as she walked beside Allison.

"Did you say flies?" Lydia asked, standing a few paces back from the other four teens.

"Lydia?" Allison asked.

"All day I've been hearing this sound. It's like… this buzzing." Lydia explained.

"Like the sound of flies?" Allison asked as she walked back over to her best friend. Stiles, Isaac, and Sophia slowly made their way back over to the Banshee.

"Exactly like the sound of flies." She confirmed.

**XXX**

Sophia bumped into Stiles when he flailed to a stop. "Can't you be normal?" She growled out softly to him.

"Never tried." Stiles said, looking around when he caught sight of Scott. They ran over to him.

"Dude, where the hell have you been?" Stiles asked as they ran up to him. Lydia came up seconds later.

"The police are leaving." She said. "Why are they leaving?" She asked Stiles.

"The police?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, you missed a lot." Sophia said, patting his arm.

"They must've cleared the building and grounds, which means he's not here." Stiles said and Lydia let out a sigh.

"Who? What are you guys…" Scott began.

"He has to be here." Lydia said forcefully. The three friends gave her their full attention. "That sound… the buzzing I've been hearing? It's getting louder."

"How loud?" Sophia asked, taking a small step towards the younger girl. She closed her eyes, her breathing got heavier. Sophia put her hand on Stiles' arm. "Go get your dad." The boy nodded as he ran towards the entrance of the school.

**XXX**

"Lydia thinks that he's still here even though the cops searched the whole school." Scott explained to the small group of werewolves. Scott and Sophia had been joined by Isaac and the twins. "But they didn't have one thing…" Scott opened the bag he was holding up and pulled out some clothes. "Our sense of smell." Sophia took the shirt from Scott's hands, pressing it to her nose and inhaling deeply, trying to catalog the scent in her brain. The other wolves were doing the same. Scott leaned over, close to Sophia's ear. "Go with the twins; make sure they stay out of trouble." He whispered and she nodded. When they separated, Isaac went with Scott and Sophia was with the twins.

She stepped down a hall, taking in deep breaths but not catching the scent. "You got something?" Aiden asked Ethan, catching her attention. Ethan held up his hand to silence his brother. Sophia quietly stepped closer to the two of them. The twins stepped around the corner but they didn't move. Sophia peeked around and saw Danny kissing a guy, only for him to pull away when he saw the twins. Sophia wanted to laugh but she didn't know whether to do that or roll her eyes. She stood up straight and leaned against the wall, blowing out a breath and moving her bangs. Aiden chuckled.

"Oh, really?" Ethan said to Danny. Aiden glanced at Danny once more before turning back and walking towards Sophia.

"Let's go." She said, knowing that Ethan would follow them when he was ready. They checked a few more halls before fire alarm went off. Sophia glanced at the twins before they all ran for the stairs to lead them back up to the main floor. Sophia glanced around once she was outside, catching sight of Scott, Stiles, and Lydia. She and Aiden walked over to them, joining their circle.

"We didn't find anything." Aiden said to them. Sophia nodding her head, letting them know that she agreed.

"Not even a scent." Scott said.

"It's 3:00, so school's over." Stiles said. "If there was a bomb, wouldn't he have set it off by now?"

"Does that mean everybody's safe?" Ethan asked from where he was standing beside Isaac.

"I don't know." Lydia said, drawing their attention. "I just… I don't know."

"It's alright Lydia." Sophia said, nodding to the girl.

**XXX**

"Look guys, Barrow isn't here… I'm heading home. I might be able to find something out with a little bit of research." Sophia said, motioning to the parking lot. Lydia, Stiles, and Scott glanced at each other before Scott nodded.

"Alright, just… be careful." He said and the she-wolf nodded before making her way to her car. She unlocked the door before sighing and turning around, seeing both of the twins had followed her.

"I don't know why you're following me. Scott has a bigger pack." She leaned against the car with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You have a bigger pack." Aiden said. "Derek, Peter, Isaac. Scott only has Lydia and Stiles."

"Isaac is a part of Scott's pack." Sophia said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Uh-huh." Aiden said, rolling his eyes.

"Look… we're not trying to cause any trouble. We just want to offer any help we can. We know that this isn't going to get us into a pack but… we want to help. This affects us too." Ethan said to the she-wolf. She watched them for a moment before sighing again and turning to the car.

"Get your bikes and follow me. I'm going to my house and if you do anything I consider a threat I will not hesitate to kill you." Both boys nodded and moved towards their bikes. She got into the Camaro and started it up, began driving to her house.

**XXX**

The twins actually stayed for dinner, eating at the table with Sophia and her family. When dinner was done, she turned to the twins. "Why don't you guys go upstairs and get ready to study." Sophia said, not totally telling her family about Barrow just yet. They worry about her enough just being a werewolf, she didn't need to know about the madman trying to kill her because of her glowing eyes. Both boys nodded before making their way up to the room. Sophia stood up, helping her mother clear the table. She stepped into the kitchen to stand beside her mother at the sink.

"So, what are their names again?" She asked, looking at Sophia.

"Ethan and Aiden." Sophia answered.

"They're cute." Her mother said, winking at her. Sophia chuckled.

"Well, one has a thing for Danny so that's a no go." Sophia laughed when her mother rolled her eyes. "Besides, Derek'll come back. I know he will." Her mom watched her as she walked up the stairs. Both boys were standing there waiting.

"We're cute?" Aiden asked and Sophia rolled her eyes.

"Focus. So Barrow's first bomb was to kill kids with glowing eyes." Sophia said to them.

"Werewolves." Ethan answered.

"He said that he was going to do it again when he got out. Does he think all kids are werewolves?" Aiden asked, looking between Ethan and Aiden.

"I don't know." Sophia said, sitting down on her bed. "I don't think it matters to him anyway. He's not going to give up until we're all dead or he is."

"I vote for the latter." Aiden said, shrugging. Sophia glared lightly at him before sighing. Sophia jumped and covered her ears when a high-pitch scream sounded. The twins covered their ears as well. "What the hell was that?" Aiden asked, as the scream died off and he removed his hands from his ears.

"Lydia." Sophia said, grabbing her jacket and slipping her shoes on. The twins followed her lead as she pulled her phone out of her pocket, beginning to dial Stiles' number as she jogged down the stairs.

"Sophia? Where are you going?" Her father asked as they ran through the living room.

"Supernatural stuff. We'll be back." She said, listening to Ethan close the door behind them before she put the phone to her ear, getting in the driver's seat of the Camaro. Aiden jumped into the back before Ethan got into the passenger seat. As soon as the door was closed, she peeled out of the driveway and onto the main road. "What the hell was that?" Sophia asked as soon as Stiles answered.

"_That was Lydia."_ He said, knowing exactly what Sophia was talking about.

"I got that. Why did she scream?" She asked.

"_Barrow knocked Scott out and kidnapped Kira. Lydia couldn't trigger her powers so we told her to scream. It worked. That buzzing she was hearing earlier, it wasn't flies."_ He said and Sophia's brow furrowed as she drove.

"Then what the hell was it?" She asked.

"_Electricity. Like that electrical buzz that you hear sometimes."_ He said and she nodded.

"Okay, so what does that mean?" She asked, turning on her blinker before making a turn.

"_Well, Barrow used to be an electrical engineer at a substation."_ He said and Sophia made a noise.

"What substation?" She asked as she stopped at a stop sign and idled in the street, waiting for a location from Stiles.

**XXX**

Sophia pulled up seconds after Stiles and Scott. She got out of the driver's seat, pointing at the twins. "Stay here and wait with Lydia." They opened their mouths to argue when she flashed her eyes at them, their words dying on their tongues. They nodded before she closed the door. She turned and followed Scott inside.

"You check out that way." Scott said, pointing down a different hallway.

"Are you sure?" She asked and the boy nodded. Sophia nodded back and walked down the hall, looking for any sign of Barrow or Kira. The silence was broken by Kira screaming Scott's name, causing Sophia to turn and run back the way she came to follow Scott's scent. She ran into the room, standing by the door was sparks flew around the room. Slowly, their erratic pattern became directional. Slowly, as the light died down, Sophia said that Kira was absorbing all of the sparks. When the room fell quiet again, Kira looked over at Scott, who was lying on the ground. Sophia looked down at Barrow's body… one problem down and a new one to figure out.


	39. Illuminated

**A/N: I'm so, so sorry it took so long! Life happened and then I graduated college (FINALLY!) and then I lost motivation but with the new season, I'm back in it! I should be able to edit regularly, hopefully. So, here is one of my favorite episodes! I hope you guys like it! Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review to let me know what you think! It would mean a lot to me!**

**P.S. After writing this I have noticed that the show all happens within like, a year, but in my mind, it happens over a longer period of time which is why this chapter says so in the beginning.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

It seemed to Sophia that her life had taken a turn for weird and unusual as soon as Scott was bitten. It also turned out to be the time for more trouble. Since he was bit a year earlier, she had been in and out of the school office and the Sheriff's department more times than she could count. Of course, she usually just blamed it on her two partners in crime… that usually got her out of trouble 99% of the time.

"So, when did you get there?" Agent McCall asked the five teenagers. Sophia, Scott, Stiles, Lydia, and Kira were all sitting in the Sheriff's office as they were questioned by none other than Scott's father with the sheriff behind him at his desk. The she-wolf had managed to get the twins to leave the scene before the police arrived because she was sure something like this was going to happen.

"At the same time." Stiles answered.

"At the same time as who?" McCall asked.

"At the same time as me." Scott answered.

"And me." Sophia said, raising a hand. Stiles pointed to his best friends on either side of him.

"By coincidence?" McCall asked.

"What do you mean by coincidence?" Sophia asked, leaning back in her chair as she laced her fingers together and pressing them to her chin.

"That's what I'm asking you." McCall said. "The three of you arrived at the same time. Was that coincidence?"

"Are you asking me?" Scott asked after a moment of silence.

"I think he's asking me." Stiles said to his friend.

"Or he might be asking me." Sophia said, nudging Stiles with her elbow. She saw the boy nod out of the corner of her eyes.

"I think he's asking all three of you." Lydia said from where she was sitting on the other side of Kira, who was sitting beside Scott.

"Okay, let me answer the questions." McCall said, getting their attention back. Sophia hid her smile behind her hands when Agent McCall realized his mistake. Sheriff Stilinski did the same thing from where he was sitting. "Let me ask the questions." Stiles pointed at the man and winked. Sophia bit her hand lightly as not to laugh. "Just so I have this absolutely clear. Barrow was hiding in the chemistry closet at the school. Someone left him a coded message on the blackboard telling him to kill Kira. Then Barrow took Kira to a power substation and tied her up with the intent of electrocuting her, which blacked out the entire town."

"Sounds about right." Stiles said, shifting in his seat and nodding.

"How did you know he'd take her to a power station?" McCall asked.

"Well, 'cause he was an electrical engineer." Stiles answered. "So, where else would he take her?"

"That's one hell of a deduction there, Stiles." McCall said, clearly not in the mood for Stiles' games but he put up a good front.

"Yeah, what can I say? I take after my pops. He's in law enforcement." Stiles said, looking at his dad, winking and pointing at him with a smile. The Sheriff snorted while trying not to laugh. Sophia chuckled, when the sheriff pretended to cough when Agent McCall looked over his shoulder at him.

"Stiles, just, uh… Just answer the man." John said, trying to cover his tracks.

"We made a good guess." Sophia said, unlacing her fingers and shrugging her shoulders.

"What were the two of you doing?" McCall asked Scott and Kira.

"Eating pizza."

"Eating sushi." They said before looking at each other. They reversed what they said and the other, of course, said the opposite thing.

"Eating sushi and pizza." They said at the same time and Sophia snorted, covering her smile again.

"You believe this?" McCall asked, looking over his shoulder at John again.

"To be honest, I haven't believed a word Stiles has said since he learned how to speak." John said to him and Stiles nodded. "But I think these kids found themselves in the right place at the right time and that girl sitting there is very lucky for it."

"Kira, is that how you remember?" McCall asked the girl. She looked at Scott before Lydia and Stiles both shifted forward in their seats obviously. Sophia sighed and moved forward as well, less obviously. Kira nodded her head.

"Yes. Could I get my phone back now?" She asked the Agent.

"Sorry but no." He answered. He opened the door, handing the phone to an officer standing there while the teens filed out. "Kira, a deputy is going to take you home but we'll need you to fill out some paperwork first." Sophia glanced back at her friends, nodding to them as they walked past her. Scott came to stand in front of her and she opened her mouth to speak when Agent McCall called his name. They both turned to look at him as he closed the Sheriff's door. She turned her attention back to Scott.

"I'll call you later." She said and the other boy nodded. She turned and walked out of the department, sighing as she sat down in the Camaro. She took a moment to relax against the seat before she put the keys in the ignition and started it up.

**XXX**

"Class starts in five minutes. Just because there's no power don't expect there to be no school." Finstock said through the megaphone as he walked down the halls. Sophia watched him walk by while she leaned against the locker next to Stiles.

"That was a triple negative. Very impressive, Coach." Stiles said, stuffing a book into his bag.

"Copy that." Finstock said back and Stiles nodded before Sophia chuckled. Stiles pulled a book out of his locker, causing his keys to fall to the floor. He bent down, picking them up and finding a new key on the ring.

"Hello, where did you come from?" He muttered while looking at the ring. They both turned to the door when Scott came in, Sophia waved while Stiles gave him a playful salute. Sophia noticed that Scott was looking down the hall. She and Stiles turned and saw Kira turning around, heading towards her locker. Scott began jogging towards her, only to be caught by Stiles.

"No. No. Stop. Stop." Stiles said.

"What? I need to talk to her." Scott said, looking at his best friend before looking at Sophia. The redhead shrugged her shoulders.

"No, you need to remember that someone left a coded message telling Barrow to kill her." Stiles said.

"Which is why I need to talk to her." Scott said, motioning over to the girl.

"Scott, no way." Stiles said with a sigh. "Until we figure out if she's just another psychotic monster that's going to start murdering everybody, I vote against any and all interaction." Stiles flailed, almost smacking Sophia in the face. She knocked his hand away before smacking him in the stomach. He gasped as he held his stomach.

"I disagree. I mean, you can't do much worse than Derek and if she was going to kill people, I imagine she'd do it already. I mean… Jennifer came and people started dying like… the next day." Sophia said, shrugging her shoulders while looking at the younger Alpha. "Just my opinion." Kira finished up at her locker, glancing over at them, before she began to walk away.

"What if she's like me?" Scott asked. Stiles was finally able to stand up straight. He glared at Sophia, rubbing the spot where she'd hit him.

"That girl walked through 1.21 gigawatts of electricity. She's not like you." His arm started to move again and Sophia lifted hers. Stiles glanced at her before placing his arm firmly at his side. He closed his locker as Scott began walking to class. Sophia sighed and rolled her eyes, checking her watch before making her way to her own class.

**XXX**

Sophia jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder. She turned around and came face to face with Ethan (at least she thought it was). "Um… hey?" She said, although, it sounded more like a question.

"Hey… so, listen… you're a friend of Danny's right?" He asked and Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah… best friend… so what?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So you knew he was going to throw a black light party?" Ethan asked again.

"What the hell is this about?" She asked, tilting her head to the left.

"The place Danny wanted to have the party can't because of the power outage and I thought… maybe…" He trailed off and it took Sophia a moment to catch on.

"No. No. No way. I'm not doing that. He trusts me." She said, shaking her head, her hair whipping around her face before she turned and began to walk towards her class.

"Which is exactly why if you plan it out and do it, he can't be angry with you." Ethan said.

"Yes. I am driving his Camaro around but there is a big difference from maintenance to turning someone's home into a night club!" Sophia said, turning and leaning towards the omega (or was he a beta now?), talking quickly and quietly.

"Come on!" Ethan begged and she shook her head.

"No way in hell." She said, turning to walk away.

"Please. I really like him and want to do something nice for him." Sophia stopped and looked over her shoulder at the beta. She looked forward, rocking her head back and forth before she side and turned back to him.

"Let's get one thing straight then. If I do this… you and Aiden have to help me. You have to help take the fall and everything."

"Done."

"And one more thing. As I said earlier, Danny is my best friend and I will not tolerate you hurting him. Emotionally, physically, or mentally. If you do, I will rip your throat out without a second thought... with my teeth. Do you understand me?" She said, crossing her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I understand." She said, running her fingers through her hair.

**XXX**

She stood with Aiden and Danny inside the loft, her keys jingling in her jacket pocket as she moved around, making sure there was no signs of Peter or Derek. "Whose place did you say this was?" Danny asked Sophia as she came over closer.

"My boyfriend's." She said, shrugging her shoulders as she put her hands in her jacket pockets.

"And he's cool with us using it?" Danny asked, smiling at her. She bit her lip and offered him a smile.

"Yeah, totally. I called him and worked everything out. As long as it's clean before he gets back he doesn't care." Sophia said as she, Aiden, and Danny watched Ethan start the generator. He gave them thumbs up when it was running. Sophia took in a deep breath as she walked over to the power switch, turning on one of the black lights.

"Oh yeah." Danny said with a smile.

**XXX**

Everything was ready at the loft so Sophia went home to get ready. Danny had forced her. With another sigh, she dug through her closet. She sighed and put her hands on her hips when she didn't find anything that would work for the party. She turned and stopped when she saw a black clothing bag on her bed. She walked over to it, peeling off the note stuck to the top.

_Thanks for your help. It's not much but we hope it works for the party._ _~ E &amp; A_

Ethan and Aiden? She opened the bag, seeing a rather cute outfit inside. There was a pair of black leather pants with what looked like different colored black light paint splattered all over them. There was a corset inside the back too with a similar painting job. She reached into the bottom of the back and she pulled out some more paint. There was black light hair and body paint as well as make up. She took the red hair paint and put some streaks in her hair before grabbing the red lipstick and green eye-shadow. She put those on before slipping into the outfit. She reached into her closet and pulled out a pair of black knee high boots before sitting down to put them on. She looked at herself in the mirror. Maybe she would be hot enough Derek wouldn't kill her if he came home and saw the party…

**XXX**

Sophia met Isaac and Allison by the door. "Hey guys." She said, trying not to rub her arms. When she had gotten there, Danny had gotten one of the artists to paint something like tribal swirls all down both arms while Sophia asked them to put a familiar Triskeleon in between her shoulder blades.

"What the hell Sophie?" Allison asked, looking around.

"Ethan wanted to do something nice and I haven't heard from Derek in days. I figured he wasn't back and I checked the place for any signs of him or Peter and I didn't find any." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"You do know he's going to kill the twins, Danny, and then you… right?" Isaac said. Sophia pursed her lips.

"I was hoping I was hot enough to do other things to." She said dismissively. Isaac finally looked down at her outfit and turned his head away quickly. Sophia and Allison chuckled.

"Come on in and have some fun." She said, making her way back in to the crowd.

**XXX**

"Hey! Hey!" Sophia turned, smiling when she saw Stiles coming towards her.

"Hey! Glad you could join the party." She said loud enough he could hear her over the music.

"Yeah, Scott and I had something we needed to go for Kira." He said and she nodded.

"Fun." She answered.

"Right." Stiles said, looking around. "Listen, some girl just came up and kissed me and I don't want to dance like a spazz so…" He left the question open and Sophia chuckled.

"Come here." She motioned him over, grabbing his belt loops with her index fingers and pulling him closer. His eyes widened briefly before he relaxed. "Just feel it." She said, beginning to move to the beat, letting Stiles follow her lead. "Just try not to spazz too much." She said as she leaned her head back on Stiles' shoulder to talk to him.

"Right…" He said, nodding his head slightly before pulling away. "Thanks!" He said, leaning over to press a kiss to her cheek before making his way through the crowd to find the girl. Sophia chuckled before she began dancing again. She jumped when a hand landed on her hip, pulling her slightly to the right and into someone else. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw it was Aiden. She cocked her head to the side and shrugged her shoulders before dancing with him. His hands gripped her hips tightly as they moved in tandem to the music. His hands slid up her sides, lifting her arms and running up them until he laced their fingers together and wrapped them around his neck. She dropped her head back on his shoulder.

"You know, you should probably be somewhere with Lydia." She said, looking at him. He looked at her, still moving his body against hers.

"She's here?" He asked, glancing around before looking back at her.

"She is. Go find her." She said, unwrapping herself from the beta (omega? She still wasn't clear on that) and patting him on the arm. "If things don't work out… come and find me." She said with a wink as she walked deeper into the crowd, leaving Aiden to sort out the thing with Lydia.

**XXX**

Sophia couldn't remember the last time she had had so much fun while being able to let go. It was especially weird without Stiles and Scott there but sometimes, a girl just needs some her time. Sophia stopped dancing; even over the pounding music she could hear a familiar roar. "You've got to be shitting me." She said, moving towards the entrance of the loft. She knew that roar anywhere, even over the pumping bass of the music. As she reached the door, it slid open, revealing Derek on the other side. She smiled softly and as innocently as possible. "Hey." She said, loud enough that he could hear. He looked at her.

"What the hell is going on?" He asked, there was a bit of a growl in his voice, his eyes flashing between hazel and blue.

"Before you go all werewolf on someone…" She said as she stepped up the three small steps to put her on the same level as the beta. She stepped up to him, placing her chest to chest with him before she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He tried to remain stiff but he gave in and kissed her back lightly. "Dance with me and I'll explain it." She tried not to smile at the red glow lipstick on his mouth or the smudges of color on the sides of his neck from her arms. He looked into her eyes before nodding, holding up one finger.

"One song." He said and she smiled, grabbing his hand and lacing their fingers together and she pulled him out to the middle of the dancefloor. Derek was stiff, not really moving. Sophia glanced up at him before grabbing his belt loops and pressing her body against his. His eyes flashed blue while hers flashed red and slowly, she began to move her body to the beat, using it to guide Derek's as well. Slowly, the beta began to loosen up. His hands slid to her hips as Sophia turned around, her back to his chest. She reached up with her right hand, wrapping her fingers up in his short and surprisingly soft black hair while her left drifted behind her waist, latching onto Derek's. The beta growled lowly as his nose brushed over the glowing Triskeleon on her back. She tilted her head to the side, allowing her hair to fall away so he had more access. She gasped in surprise when he went from nosing and nuzzling around the paint (careful not to get anymore on his face considering he was still wearing the lipstick) to bite down on the junction of Sophia's neck and shoulder. She let her head fall back onto his shoulder. "So…" He began, licking over the mark he had made on her shoulder, watching it fade quickly before he made another one. "Start explaining."

**XXX**

Derek's fingers were laced with Sophia's as they made their way through the crowd towards the DJ. Once Sophia had finished explaining why there were a bunch of horny, glowing teenagers in his loft (which only he and Sophia had a key to) and why she smelled heavily of Aiden, their dance was over and Derek was getting ready to end the party. Sophia let go of Derek's hand and nodded for him to keep going. She didn't want to be close to whatever Derek was going to do. The bouncer put a hand on Derek's chest, stopping him.

"Bro, sorry, but The Bloody Beetroots doesn't take requests." The man said and Derek nodded. He took another step towards the DJ before the bouncer stopped him again. "Bro, seriously. I said the DJ doesn't take…" Derek reached out and grabbed the man by the neck.

"He'll take mine." He said, throwing the bouncer to the side before grabbing the turntable and flipping it. Sophia covered her face as the music stopped and everyone froze. "Get out!" Derek yelled, the sound reverberating off the walls before everyone began scampering away. Sophia walked over to him, patting him on the back.

"Nice babe." He looked down at her.

"I have a bone to pick with you later." She looked up and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Don't forget who the Alpha is now, Big Bad." She said, crossing her arms over her chest, smearing the paint even more.

"You never let me forget, Lil' Red." He said, watching as everyone moved around. She looked up at him in surprise before nudging him with her hip. Derek looked back at the DJ, who quickly followed everyone else's lead. Once everyone was out but the pack, it became clear that there were at least five people that didn't belong. They looked like ninjas honestly. They all turned towards Aiden.

"Guys, they're all looking at me." They took a step forward. "Why are they all looking at me?" Aiden asked. They took a couple more steps forward. "Guys?" Sophia, Derek, and Scott moved quickly. They all let their claws out as they tried to slash them. They easily avoided any attacks the werewolves could throw at them. She could hear Derek growling right before there was the sound of bones snapping. She looked over her should and saw that the Beta had broken one's neck. Derek turned his attention to another one before, within seconds, the broken neck realigned. Derek looked at it in shock before it knocked him back into a support column, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Sophia snarled, letting her fangs drop and her eyes shine red before she attacked one. It easily avoided every shot she aimed for its head, neck, chest, and knees. It easily avoided every attack before it managed to grab her around her neck. It easily threw her towards the main entrance of the loft, causing her to hit her back on the stairs when she fell. She gasped for breath as her claws, teeth, and eyes returned to normal. They all turned their attention back to Aiden. Two held his arms while one grabbed his head, looking into his eyes. It lasted for a few seconds before Aiden fell to the ground. Then, they all turned their attention onto Scott. He stood quickly, backing away from them as he growled. He glanced back at Kira before he growled again.

The room suddenly became lighter, the big bay windows allowing sunlight to filter into the room. The creatures fade away like smoke. Sophia sighed and laid her head back on the step. She re-opened her eyes and took Derek's offered hand. He helped her up and let her lean against him, taking most of her weight.

"What the hell were those things?" Scott asked everyone. Everyone stayed silent.

"Your dad's 24 hours are up." Sophia heard Isaac say to Allison. What did Chris know?


	40. Silverfinger

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! I'm so sorry it's been so long! Life happens and motivation is lost but I'll try really hard to do better for you guys! Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review! It would mean a lot to me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia closed the door to the Camaro after she grabbed her bag out. Derek had been pretty pissed about the party but those ninjas helped to dampen the blow. Of course, she still had to clean the place. He ended up letting it slide. She heard Scott's bike pull up behind her, followed by Ethan and Aiden. She locked the doors, turning and seeing them all parked beside each other. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder as she walked over to them. Scott offered her a small smile before turning his attention to the twins on each side of him as they took off their helmets.

"You guys going to be doing this all day?" He asked.

"All day." Aiden said.

"All night." Ethan said.

"Is this about being in our pack?" Scott asked, motioning to Sophia briefly.

"This is about you being the target of demonic ninjas." Ethan said, glancing between the two Alphas.

"You mean the demonic ninjas that pull swords out of their chests and completely kicked our asses?" Aiden asked sarcastically.

"Yeah. Those demonic ninjas." Ethan said back to him just as sarcastically. Sophia bit her lip to hide her smile.

"I like you both when you're sassy." She said and Scott rolled his eyes.

"You like anyone when they're sassy." He said and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Guilty as charged." He rolled his eyes.

"I don't need anyone to protect me." Scott looked over at Aiden.

"They were looking right at you when the sun came up." The beta said to Scott.

"And they also disappeared. Argent thinks that they could just come out at night." Scott said, turning his attention to Sophia. She nodded her head briefly.

"Since this is our first experience with demonic ninjas, we're thinking we should play it safe." Aiden said, drawing their attention once more.

"All day." Ethan said.

"And all night." Scott said, rolling his eyes. He put his helmet on the handlebar before stepping off and putting the kickstand down. He adjusted his bag as he walked beside Sophia into the school. It was easy to hear Ethan and Aiden right behind them.

**XXX**

"Okay, one thing first." Sophia said as Scott threw a book into his locker. "We're going to need to talk to Stiles and let him know everything that happened last night. Without you two." She said, motioning to the two betas.

"No." Ethan said and Sophia turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." She said, letting her eyes flash red briefly. "And no listening in. No wolf hearing."

"How would you even know?" Ethan asked. Scott stilled his movements and Sophia crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm an Alpha and Scott's a true Alpha. You have no idea what we can do." She said, tilting her head towards Scott. The boy closed his locker before they made their way to find their best friend.

**XXX**

"So then she starts talking about phosphors and the key having chemicals on it, right?" Stiles said as they walked into the empty chemistry class. Scott closed the door behind them. "And so that made me think of the chemistry closet and the fact that someone had to let Barrow in…" He stopped talking when he looked at the chalkboard. "It's gone." He said quietly. Sophia glanced at Scott, who glanced at her before they both looked back at Stiles. "Okay, it doesn't matter though. It doesn't matter. I've still got the key." Stiles said, pulling his keys out of his pocket. They jingled as he looked through them all, looking for the one that he didn't know. He walked over to the chemical closet and tried a key, it didn't work. "What the hell?" He whispers as he looked back through the key ring for the key. "I had it… I had it here. I had it here this morning. I swear to God, I had it this morning." The key was missing. Stiles looked up at them before looking back down at his key ring.

"The key you were talking about last night?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, I showed it to you, right?" Stiles asked looking up at his friends. "Didn't I show it to you?"

"No, you just told me about it. I never actually saw it." Scott answered and Sophia nodded, she had never seen it either. Stiles began breathing heavily as he moved back over to the chalkboard.

"I was here a couple of hours ago. And the message left to Barrow spelling Kira's name was right there on the board in my handwriting and I had the key to the chemistry closet." Stiles explained and Sophia blinked in surprise.

"So you unlocked the chemistry closet so Barrow could hide in it from the cops and then you wrote him a message to kill Kira?" Sophia asked, taking a small step closer to the boy.

"I know how it sounds…" Stiles began. "But look at this." He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. "This is the news report that came out about Barrow when they caught him, okay? About the shrapnel bomb that he used. See this? See what he did? He put nuts, bolts, and screws. And then he hid the bomb and the detonator in a box that he wrapped as a birthday present. What does that sound like to you?" Stiles asked as Sophia took the paper and began to skim over it. She knew Scott was reading it over her shoulder.

"Coach." Scott and Sophia said, turning their attention to Stiles' face.

"The joke we played on Coach." Scott continued.

"That was my idea." Stiles whispered as if he talked to loud and everyone in the school would hear him. "You remember? That was my idea. That's no coincidence. It can't be." Scott shook his head slightly, his mouth open as he tried to find the right words.

"I don't want to sound like I'm trying to tell you that you're wrong. But I don't think you're trying to kill people either." He said and Stiles looked at the board. Stiles crumpled the paper in his hands, shaking slightly.

"It was here. It was all here." Stiles whispered.

"Dude, are you feeling okay?" Scott asked and Sophia reached up, laying her hand gently on Stiles' shoulder. "You're looking really tired."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just haven't been sleeping really…" Stiles looked at his friends before trying to avert his gaze. Sophia leaned in closer.

"Why don't you go home?" She said quietly. "Just take a sick day or something. I can get all of your work for you." Stiles glanced at her before looking at the board.

"Yeah… okay." He said and Scott patted his arm. Sophia wrapped an arm around his waist, giving him a one-armed, side hug.

**XXX**

"Did you tell him?" Aiden asked as Scott and Sophia caught up with the twins.

"No. He's got enough on his mind right now." Scott said as they walked.

"If they're coming for you in a few hours then so do you." Ethan said before Scott turned, stopping them all.

"What if it's not me?" He asked them. "Okay? What if I'm not the one they want?"

"Who else is there?" Aiden asked before Scott turned and looked towards the stairs where Kira was coming down. It would make sense. Sophia tilted her head slightly, her red hair blocking some of her vision.

**XXX**

Sophia sat in the Camaro in the school parking lot, twisting her phone between her fingers. She'd gotten a text from Melissa saying that Stiles had gone to the hospital and she had given him a sedative to help him sleep. She pursed her hips and tapped the phone against her bottom one as she watched Scott get onto his bike, putting his helmet on and buckling the strap before putting on his gloves. Ethan and Aiden walked out of the school, glancing towards the Camaro before walking towards their bikes which were parked on either side of Scott.

She started the car as Scott spoke to them. He backed up his bike before starting it and taking off. The twins were unable to follow. She chuckled as she looked at the small box of sparkplugs in her passenger seat. He and Kira had done a good job. She put the car in drive before pulling out of her parking space, avoiding other students as she made her way to the main road. She stopped at the stop sign. If she went left, she would be going home but if she went right… she would be going to the loft. She started to turn the wheel right before she decided against it and turned left. Her parents were at work so she would have a quiet house to think about some things.

**XXX**

Sophia sighed as she looked out her bedroom window. Nothing was making sense and now the sun was setting and she had no idea what was going to happen tonight. She looked at her wall, it looks similar to Stiles' with strings connecting pictures and documents… These ninjas had only gone after Supernatural creatures including a Banshee and four werewolves. They had been ready to go after Scott before the sun came up so that equals five werewolves. She didn't know if she or Kira were going to be targeted as well.

She had done some research on them… they were called (from what Sophia could tell) Onis and they were definitely Japanese. She sighed as she pushed her hair out of her face and pulled her phone out of her back pocket and wrote a text to Scott.

_**To Scotty (5:34 pm)**_

_**Maybe I should come over. I know you're with Kira but something isn't sitting well with me.**_

Sophia typed out and waited for a reply. It only took a few minutes before she got one back, she spent that time tapping her lip with her phone as she read over the board again and looked at all the connecting strings that really didn't make sense.

_**From Scotty (5:36 pm)**_

_**I think you should. Being questioned by my dad anyway, apparently his computer takes pictures of people who use it when it's not him.**_

"Ouch…" Sophia muttered. She had known that they snuck into the Sheriff's department to erase a photo from Kira's phone but she had no idea what it was. It had something to do with Barrow, that was all she knew.

_**To Scotty (5:36 pm)**_

_**Be there soon.**_

She said as she slipped her phone into her back pocket before slipping her jacket over her shoulders as she walked to the door.

**XXX**

The drive was a quick one but it was dark by the time she'd pulled up to the house. As she turned off the car, she saw a familiar Toyota pull up. She nodded at him as she closed the door of the Camaro and ran up to the door, Derek right behind her. She moved slightly to the side as Derek kicked the door in, running in and shifting as he went. Sophia followed him, her eyes shining red in the dark as her face shifted into Beta form. She pulled her lips back and roared, Derek and Scott following her lead.

Derek ran for one while Sophia went for another, she could hear Scott somewhere in the room. Sophia easily dodged the sword a few times before one swipe caught her in the thigh, knocking her to her knees. She growled and rolled away from it. When she sat up, she roared. She vaguely heard Scott say something to his mom about the ash. With another roll, Sophia had a pretty clear view of the room and that included one of the Onis materializing behind Kira.

"Kira!" Sophia yelled at the girl from around her fangs. At that moment, the window was busted in and the twins jumped through the hit the ground, snarling. The Oni behind Kira turned his attention from her to the twins, raising its sword. Sophia barely managed to get up to her feet and side-step a blow from the Oni's sword. The whole point of the fight was more of a containment method rather than a real fight to win. The twins knocked one out the back door while Scott managed to throw one out the window before he turned to his mom.

"Mom, now! Do it now!" He yelled to her. The twins handled the Oni that had been after Sophia as she ran over to Melissa. Derek pushed his Oni out the front door, Melissa and Sophia following after him. As soon as the Oni was outside, Melissa threw the glass jar down. It shattered on the floor and made a perfect line all by itself. Sophia reached out and gently grabbed Melissa's arm as she pulled the woman away from the door as the Oni stepped up to the barrier. It didn't try to break through, meaning that they had some time. Sophia sighed through her fangs as she let her Beta form slide away. She glanced to the side as Derek came to stand next to her. She leaned over, letting the man take most of her weight.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, pressing a kiss to her temple before pressing his forehead against that spot. She nodded softly before tilting her head up and nuzzling under his chin.

"Are you?" She asked and he nodded, his chest rumbling slightly. He placed a kiss on her forehead this time. Scott came over to them, eyes flickering between the two of them. No one had really known about their relationship, they'd suspected but never known, so to see the PDA… it must've been a surprise. Scott did manage to hold in his questions about the couple and focus on the problem at hand. Derek turned to the boy, wrapping his arms around Sophia's waist to help hold her up, his large hand splayed over her hip.

"All of the baseboards are ash wood?" He asked Scott as the three werewolves looked down at the floorboards.

"Uh, yeah." Scott said, panting slightly. "It was Deaton's idea. Where the hell did you come from?" Scott asked Derek. "I knew Sophia was on the way but seriously dude!"

"I've been following you." Derek said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Scott's brow furrowed as he looked at the beta. Even Sophia looked up at him.

"For how long?" Scott asked.

"All day." Sophia took a small step back to really get a good look at his face as he turned to look back at the door.

"Seriously?" She asked and Derek nodded, grabbing her hand and lacing their fingers together as he walked into the living room, leaving a very confused Scott behind. Melissa called Scott's attention and the boy went to help her take care of his dad. Sophia stopped walking when they got into the living room. She held Derek's hand tightly as he walked another step before turning to her. She smiled slightly as she pulled him back to her. He allowed himself to be pulled into her arms. "It's a little weird that you were following Scott all day rather than me." She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Derek chuckled before putting his hands on her hips and pulling her closer before leaning down and nosing along her cheek to the spot behind her ear.

"I didn't think you would want me to follow you." Derek said, his lips brushing against that spot. Sophia shuddered softly, gripping his Henley a little tighter, subconsciously pushing her body even closer to Derek's.

"How would you know that?" She asked slightly breathless. "I was in my big house all alone; I could've used some company." Derek growled softly and Sophia could feel his fangs extending she knew his eyes were flashing. Sophia tipped her head down, running her own extended fangs across the thickly corded muscles of his neck. He let out the smallest whimper as he tilted his head every so subtly, submitting to the Alpha. Sophia's eyes flashed red briefly before she placed a light bite to the muscles, feeling all of the tension drain from Derek's body. She pulled away, using the tips of her fingers to tip Derek's head back up and press a kiss to his lips. As they kissed, she trained her ears to everything around them. She could hear Scott and Melissa in one of the back rooms talking about his father while Kira, Ethan, and Aiden stood closer to the door where the Oni was still standing.

"It's Kira, right?" Aiden asked. "You going to tell us what you are?"

"What? What do you mean?" She asked shocked and a little breathless. Sophia pulled away from Derek's lips, trying not to smile at the way he followed her lips.

"The twins are getting ready to cause trouble." She said, gently biting her lip as they brushed over Derek's. "Besides, this isn't the best situation to get… distracted." She said, shifting her hip and brushing against the hardness in Derek's jeans. He shuddered, letting out a shaky breath before opening his eyes. They shined an electric blue causing Sophia's to shift to red.

"She can't go through it either." Aiden said when Sophia turned back to the conversation by the door. What was Kira?

"Go take care of them." She said, pulling completely away from Derek and walking towards the kitchen. The beta growled before grunting softly and Sophia chuckled, sure that he had adjusted himself to make sure it wasn't so obvious to everyone.

"So, what are you?" Ethan asked Kira. Sophia poured herself a glass of water as she listened.

"She's a kitsune, idiot." Derek said to them after he cleared his throat, his voice strong and sure. Sophia smiled around the rim of her glass. "Use your eyes." He said before he began walking towards them. Sophia stepped into the hall, leaning against the wall to watch them. "You can see it all around her. The younger ones give off an aura. She just hasn't learned to conceal it yet. She probably doesn't know what kind she is either." Derek said and Kira watched him unsure. Sophia walked over to them, sitting on the couch Derek was leaning again, offering him the water. He took it silently and gulped down half of it. Sophia chuckled when he handed it back.

"Kira." Sophia said, getting the girl's attention from Derek to her. "Why don't you go see if Scott needs any help?" The younger girl watched her for a moment before nodding her head, turning and heading towards the hall where Scott and his mom were taking care of his dad. The four werewolves were silent until she was gone from sight.

"I wasn't going to hurt her." Aiden said as he turned his attention to Derek.

"Not yet." The beta said, turning his attention onto Sophia.

"Why do you think we're here, Derek?" Aiden asked. "For a study group? We're here to protect Scott and Sophia."

"We're trying to fight for them." Ethan added.

"I'm sure you are." Derek said unconvinced as he pushed some of Sophia's red hair behind her ear. "I'm sure you'd kill for them." He finally turned to the two betas (or omegas, Sophia still wasn't sure if they were a part of the pack or not). "But are you willing to die for them?" The betas were silent before the house began to rumble. Sophia stood up from the couch and looked out the front door; the onis were trying to break through the barrier.

"What are they doing?" Scott asked as he and Kira came back into the room.

"Testing for weaknesses." Ethan said to the Alpha. Things were falling from the shelves and shattering every time they hit the barrier. Derek placed his hand on Sophia's back as she came over to him.

"Guys?" Aiden said, drawing everyone's attention. They all turned to the barrier, somehow the Oni had found a weak spot and were proceeding to try and break the barrier to get inside. "We have a problem."

"You think?" Sophia asked sarcastically.

**XXX**

"Allison, please tell me you have something. They're here. They're trying to get in." Scott said into the phone. He'd called Allison since hopefully by now; they would have something figured out about these things, more than Sophia had. "And it looks like they're gonna be able to do it." He pulled the phone away from his ear after a moment. They talked for only a few seconds but it looked like it was all Scott needed.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Kira asked, drawing the Alpha's attention. "They're looking for me."

"They're looking for a dark spirit. And I know it's not you." Scott said to her.

"Scott, we're going to have to do something." Derek said from his place beside Sophia, gripping her hand tightly. A second later the Oni broke through the barrier and stepped inside. Derek pushed Sophia behind him, Ethan and Aiden stepping up beside the beta. The rest of the Oni stepped in after the first.

"Don't do anything." Scott said. Everyone turned to Scott.

"Is he serious?" Aiden asked.

"I said don't do anything." Scott said as he stepped up beside Sophia. He looked at Sophia, who nodded her head softly before he turned to Kira, holding his hand out for her to take. Kira looked down at it before taking it with little hesitation, lacing their fingers together. Sophia reached out; placing a hand on Derek's back, causing the Beta to turn to her. The three Oni lined up, looking at the Supernatural creatures standing in front of them. Scott slowly pulled Kira through the group and over to two of the Onis. Sophia took in a deep breath, following their lead, gently letting go of Derek's hand as she passed by him. The Oni stepped up to her and she took in a deep breath to control her breathing before, like Scott and Kira, the Oni grabbed her back the back of the head, keeping her still as its eyes began glowing.

Whatever the Onis were doing to them, it slowly forced them to their knees before the Onis leaned in closer, looking right into their eyes. They all tilted their heads to the right before there was a sizzling sensation behind Sophia's left ear. She fell to the ground, her body numb, tingly, and ice cold. She let her eyes slip shut as she was picked up and cradled in someone's arms. She blinked her eyes open again, shivering slightly. She had to blink a few more times before a face came into focus; she offered him a small smile as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Ethan and Aiden were helping Scott and Kira.

"You're going to be okay." She heard Ethan say vaguely to all of them but she felt his fingers graze her shoulder. The redhead nodded softly before letting her head loll against Derek's chest. She felt him press another kiss to her forehead as she closed her eyes and went to sleep.


	41. Riddled

**A/N: Sorry everyone! Life happened again! I've been dealing with a loss of motivation for this story and another sequel I'm working on for another. All the little voices in my head just stopped talking to me, lol! Hopefully I can get myself back on track and keep this story going. I'm glad everyone liked the last chapter! It was one of my favorites to write with all the Derek/Sophia moments. So anyway, please let me know what you guys think of this chapter! Please review, fave, and follow, it would mean a lot to me and it might help me keep this show on the road! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia groaned into her pillow as she reached blindly for her phone. She blinked her eyes open once she had it in hand, seeing Scott's name on the screen. She accepted the call, pressing it to her ear. "You better have a damn good reason for calling me." She said, voice muffled by the pillow.

"Stiles just called me. He's panicking, he doesn't know where he is and he says his leg is caught on something and bleeding. I'm taking Isaac to find him. We need your help." He was panicking as well, talking in a rush. Sophia quickly jumped out of the bed, almost falling from where her legs were entangled in the sheets. She managed to catch herself as she searched for her clothes on the floor.

"Where the hell are you?" She asked, holding the phone between her cheek and shoulder while slipping off her sweatpants she was wearing and putting her jeans on.

"Isaac and I are getting ready to leave my house. We're heading over to Stiles'." He said as he moved around. He stopped moving and Sophia thought she heard him pull the phone away from his ear. "He's calling me back. I'll call you back." The redhead didn't get a word out before he hung up the phone. She picked up a random shirt, putting it on before shoving her phone into one of the back pockets of her jeans. The shirt felt huge and when she looked down, she saw it was one of Derek's Henleys.

"What's wrong?" Derek said from the bed, his voice rough from sleep. She turned around, walking over to him, setting one of her knees on the bed and leaning over to press a kiss to his lips.

"It's nothing. I just have to head home. My parents need me." She said, trying to keep calm. Derek looked at the clock beside him.

"At midnight?" He asked, stretching and rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, you know my crazy parents." She said with a small, hopefully convincing chuckle. Even so, she was pretty sure that Derek could hear the lie. Hear the fact that her heart, while she tried to calm it, was spiking out of control. "I'll be back later. I promise." She gave him another kiss before the large doors of the loft. She could feel Derek's eyes on her as she opened the door and stepped out. She gave Derek one more smile before closed the doors. With a sigh, she made her way down to ground level and to the Camaro. She jumped inside, started the engine, and peeled out, making her way to Stiles' house as fast as she could.

**XXX**

Sophia slammed on the breaks right outside Stiles' house. Scott's bike wasn't there but Lydia's car was. "She's a Banshee…" Sophia said as she shut the car door before making her way to the house. "That can't be good." She was making her way up the stairs when she heard Scott and Isaac pull up. A few seconds later, both werewolves came running into the house and up the stairs, nearly colliding with Sophia.

"Hey!" Scott said as he continued up to Stiles room. Sophia nodded and followed him, Isaac behind her. When Scott opened the door, Sophia was proven right when she saw Lydia and Aiden standing in the middle of the room. "How did you know? Did he call you too?" Scott asked Lydia.

"I heard it." Lydia answered.

"Don't ask." Aiden said from beside her. "It gets more confusing when you ask."

"Not as confusing as this." Lydia said, turning back to Stiles' room. There was a pair of scissors dug into Stiles' bed with red strings from all over the walls leading to the handle of them. "He uses red for unsolved cases." The Banshee said, turning back to the others.

"Maybe he thinks he's part of an unsolved case?" Aiden asked.

"Or is an unsolved case." Isaac said, looking at the other boy.

"Hold on." Lydia said, turning back around to the group. "Is he still out there? You don't know where he is?"

"He said he's in an industrial basement somewhere." Scott said to her.

"We came here to get a better scent." Isaac said, glancing between Scott and Lydia.

"What else did she say?" She asked.

"Something's wrong with his leg. It's bleeding." Scott answered and Sophia looked at him.

"All the more reason to hurry up and get the scent." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And he's freezing." Isaac continued, ignoring Sophia.

"Tonight's the coldest night of the year." Aiden said. "It's going to drop into the 20s."

"What did his dad say?" Lydia asked quietly.

"We kind of… We didn't tell him yet." Scott said just as quietly.

"Stiles is bleeding and freezing and you didn't call his dad?" Lydia said in shock.

"He made me promise not to. We can find him by scent. If he was sleepwalking he couldn't have gotten far, right?" Scott said, looking between the four other people in the room.

"You didn't notice his Jeep is gone, did you?" Aiden asked and Sophia thought back to when she had pulled up to the house. She had pulled right up into the driveway; there was no cruiser or blue Jeep.

"Damn…" Sophia muttered, pushing her hair out of her face.

"You promised not to call his dad. I didn't." Lydia said, pulling out her phone.

"Wait, Lydia, hold on. I can get more help." Scott said, trying to keep the girl from calling the Sheriff. "I can call Derek, Allison…"

"Everyone except for the cops. Great idea." She said.

"You guys remember she gets these feelings when someone's about to die, right?" Aiden said and Sophia glared at him, upset that he had reminded her of Lydia's ability.

"You don't have to call his dad." Scott said to her. "It's five minutes to the station." They all turned to walk out when Lydia stopped Aiden from following.

"We'll catch up." She said.

"What? Why?" Scott asked as he turned around to look at her.

"There's something here." Lydia said, looking around the room.

"Yeah. Evidence of total insanity." Isaac said and Sophia growled softly at him.

"We can figure out what's wrong with him after we find a way to keep him from freezing to death." Scott said.

"Go. We'll be right behind you." Lydia said and Sophia nodded, making her way down the stairs, back to the Camaro.

**XXX**

Sophia stood between Scott and Isaac as the other Alpha explained what he knew to John. The redhead was biting her thumbnail as she listened. "If his Jeep is gone, that's where we start." He said while looking at the teens. "Parrish, let's get an APB out on a blue 1980 C-J 5 Jeep." Sophia looked at the new deputy briefly before turning back to John. "Cordova, I want a list of any kind of industrial basement or sub-level of any building that he could've gotten into while sleepwalking. This is the coldest night of the year so far. So if he's out there barefoot in just a T-shirt, he could already by hypothermic. Let's move fast. Let's think fast. The three of you, come with me." John said, turning to the teens before leading them into his office. He closed the door behind them before he turned his attention back to them. "Okay, is there anything you need to tell me that I can't tell everybody out there?"

"Lydia knew he was missing." Scott said.

"Can she help find him?" John asked.

"She's working on it." Isaac said and Sophia nodded.

"Anything else?" John asked.

"I called Allison for help." Scott said. Sophia held up her phone, waving it in the air.

"And I called Derek." She said. John sighed and nodded.

"Can you find him by scent?" He asked and a moment later there was a knock on the door, Parrish came in.

"We got it, sir. We found the Jeep."

**XXX**

Sophia jumped out of the Camaro and ran over to the Jeep, John right behind her. He opened the door and looked inside. "It's dead. He must've left the lights on."

"Why would he come here?" She asked, putting her hands in her jean pockets, fighting the shivers that wanted to rack her body for the fact that she rushed out of Derek's place without her jacket.

"Let's find out." John said, closing the Jeep door. She nodded and got ready to move when her phone went off. She glanced down at it.

_**From Big Bad (1:34 am)**_

_**On the roof of the hospital.**_

"Derek's here. On the roof." She said and John nodded. He took some other officers inside the hospital. Sophia looked over at Scott and Isaac as they ran over to her. "The Jeep's dead but Derek's here. Come on." She said, running inside the hospital and taking the stairs all the way to the roof.

"He's not here. Not anymore." Derek said when he heard them come around the corner.

"You mean the whole building?" Scott asked.

"Gone." He said.

"I'll go tell Stilinski." Isaac said. Sophia walked over to Derek as Scott turned to Isaac.

"And see if you can find Allison. She's not answering her phone."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Derek asked, looking at her. She shrugged, pulling down the sleeves of his shirt even more.

"I was hoping we wouldn't need to get everyone involved." She said. Derek leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead, rubbing one of her arms in a soothing motion. The man brought up his other hand, grasped in it was Sophia's leather jacket. She smiled softly as she grabbed it and put it on. Scott came over to them.

"Notice how strong the scent is up here?" Derek asked and Sophia finally took in a deep breath. At first, she was overwhelmed with Derek's scent. She took in another deep breath, pushing it aside and finding the undertones of Stiles there. "Ever hear of chemo signals?" Derek looked over at the younger wolves. "Chemicals signals that communicate emotion. And just our sweat can give off anger, fear, or disgust. Take a deep breath and tell me what you feel." Both Sophia and Scott took in a deep breath.

"Stress." Scott said and Derek nodded his head.

"Anxiety." Sophia said quietly, glancing around.

"What was he doing up here?" Scott asked quietly.

"I don't know." Derek answered. "But there was definitely some kind of struggle." Both teens whipped their heads around at the older wolf.

"With who?" They both asked at the same time.

"Himself." Derek said and that didn't make Sophia feel any better at all.

**XXX**

"Eichen House?" Sophia asked from the passenger seat of the Camaro as she ended the call with John.

"It's a mental institution." Derek said as he stopped at a stoplight.

"What the hell is Stiles doing there?" She asked, looking at her phone as if it would suddenly give her answers.

"I don't know. Do you want to go?" He asked, getting ready to head in that direction. Sophia nodded her head.

"Yes." He nodded, grabbing her hand and lacing their fingers together as he heading towards Eichen House.

**XXX**

Derek pulled up behind the deputies at the Eichen House gates before Sophia turned to him. "I'll be right back." She said, getting out and walking over to where Lydia was standing. "Hey." She said to the strawberry blonde. The younger girl turned to her before turning back to Eichen.

"He's here." She said and Sophia nodded. John and two more deputies came over.

"Lydia, I don't want to say 'are you sure about this' but…" John began before Lydia interrupted him.

"No he's here. I swear to God he's here." She said, turning to the sheriff. John sighed before looking up at the large metal gates.

**XXX**

After running through almost all of Eichen House's basement rooms, Lydia finally seemed to know where she was. "It's here." She said. "It's right here." John kicked a door open, leading the teenagers into the room.

"Stiles!" Lydia called for him. Sophia let her eyes bleed red as she looked around, her Alpha eyes easily cutting through the dark. There was nothing in the room. Sophia could hear Scott turning to Lydia. Sophia began, carefully, walking through the debris in the room, looking for anything. Lydia was hardly ever wrong.

"Lydia?" He asked.

"I don't get it." She said. "This has to be it."

"When where is he, huh?" John whispered. "Where is he? Where is he?" He yelled at Lydia and she flinched back. Sophia growled from where she was across the room. She saw John look at her; it was dark enough in the room that Sophia was sure that all he could see was her glowing eyes. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"I don't understand." She whispered before they all began to walk up the stairs. As Sophia turned to walk up the stairs, she caught something on the wall under the stairs. She glanced up at everyone before slipping under them. She walked over to the wall, touching the mark. It was familiar…

"Sophia?" She heard John calling for her.

"Coming." She said, slipping back around the stairs and running up to them.

**XXX**

Sophia sighed as she leaned back into the passenger seat. She closed her eyes and let all the tenseness drain out of her body. She could feel Derek glance over at her. "They found him." She leaned over the middle console to leaning against the man. He removed one hand from the steering wheel to gently lay it on her knee.

"Is he okay?" He asked quietly. She nodded into his neck.

"They're taking him to the hospital." She pulled away from him slightly. "Can we head back there? I want to see him and I was hoping you could jump his Jeep." Derek nodded, turning his head and pressing a haphazard kiss to her temple without taking his eyes off the road.

"Sure." He said, squeezing her knee gently.

**XXX**

Sophia pulled the lever under the steering wheel, listening to the hood pop. She slipped out and walked around to the front of the Jeep before pushing it open and putting it on its stand. Derek finished hooking up the jumper cables to his Toyota before coming over to her. "So, you think he was just sleepwalking? Or is there something more to it?" Aiden asked as he came over to the pair, leaning against the Camaro.

"Ass off the car." Sophia said, pointing at him before she turned back to watch Derek.

"In this town there's always something more." Derek said, uncovering the Jeep's battery so that he could attach the cables.

"What if I told you I know something more?" Aiden asked and Sophia crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at him. Derek looked as unimpressed as Sophia felt, waiting for him to continue. "I kind of overheard… Well, I listened in on Stiles talking to Scott and Sophia." The she-wolf growled as she moved towards him, Aiden took a step back but Derek grabbed her arm, pulling her back to him. "How he thinks he was the one who wrote that message in the Chemistry room." Derek's brow furrowed as he dropped his hand from Sophia's arm. "The message telling Barrow to kill Kira.

"You think Stiles, skinny, defenseless Stiles is the Nogitsune? A powerful, dark spirit?" Derek said and Sophia raised an eyebrow at him.

"Kick him while he's down, why don't ya?" He shrugged his shoulders before turning his attention back to Aiden.

"I'm not the only one thinking it. I'm just the only one saying it." Aiden said and Sophia could just feel her hackles rising.

"This things wants to possess someone and chooses Stiles?" Sophia said while trying to keep her fangs back, she could feel them tingling with the urge to rip into something… preferably Aiden at this point in the night. "Why not take someone bigger, stronger? Someone with a little more…" She stopped talking, hackles smoothing out and muscles releasing.

"Power." Derek finished, looking at the girl. He touched the jumper cables together, watching them spark.

**XXX**

Sophia walked through the halls kind of aimlessly the next day, jumping when a hand landed on her shoulder. "Hey, are you and Scott okay?" Kira asked. Sophia nodded slightly, pushing her hair over her shoulder.

"Yeah, just a lot going on. We're fine." Sophia said, trying to offer her a small smile. "Did you need something?" Kira shifted her weight for a moment, she looked nervous. She opened her mouth to say something before she closed it again. Sophia raised an eyebrow and waited patiently. The girl opened her mouth once more but this time, another voice spoke.

"I can help you." Both girls turned to Derek. Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"What the _hell _are you doing here?" Sophia asked her boyfriend, who just smiled and leaned down to press a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Why would you want to help me?" Kira asked the older man.

"Because I want you to tell me everything that happened at the power station with William Barrow. Actually, I want you to show me." Derek said Sophia's eyes flashed red.

"Derek…" She said lowly and the older man averted his eyes for a moment before turning his gaze back to Kira. He began walking towards the exit. Kira looked at Sophia; the older woman looked at her before rolling her eyes. "Alright, alright. Come on." She said before gently grabbing the girl's arm and pulling her towards the exit.

**XXX**

"It was around here, I think." Kira said as she led Derek through the power station. Sophia followed behind slowly, her hands in the pockets of her brown leather jacket. "But everything kind of looks the same now." Sophia's eyes narrowed as she saw a generator… a metal bat was stuck to it. Sophia slipped passed Derek to look at it. It was definitely Stiles'. Derek and Kira followed the Alpha with their eyes.

"What is that? Is that a baseball bat?" Kira asked the older girl.

"It's Stiles' bat." She said, looking down at her feet. There was a scrape line, leading from the outside cage around the generator before ended at the generator. Sophia reached up and tried to pull it away from the generator but it didn't budge. She grunted as she pulled with all her strength and it barely moved. "It's all you babe." She said, stepping to the side of the cage to let Derek come in. He pulled it and saw why Sophia couldn't move it. It had budged a little with Derek but not enough to remove it from the generator. It took one strong yank from the beta before it came loose. He looked down at it before turning to Sophia.

"It's magnetized." Derek said to the Alpha. Derek walked out of the cage and laid the bat on the ground, right where a scrape mark started. Sophia and Kira watched the man quietly. Derek laid the top of the bat down and tried to hold it as it pulled him towards the generator, ending up back in the same position they had found it. It clearly had a strong pull if he wasn't able to keep it from sliding. Derek took a few steps back before looking at Sophia. Their eyes met before they looked at the Kitsune beside her. "Kira, I'm going to need you to tell me everything you know about foxfire." Kira nodded but before she could start explaining, Sophia's phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket; she had a text from Scott.

_**From Scotty (5:45 pm)**_

_**They're running tests on Stiles at 6, if you want to come.**_

_**To Scotty (5:45 pm)**_

_**I'll be there. Headed there now.**_

"You okay?" Derek asked as he looked at Sophia. She was still within the fence while he and Kira were outside. She looked up at him before nodding, walking out to join the others.

"Yeah… They're running some tests on Stiles in a little while." She said, flipping the phone over in her hands a few times.

"Go ahead, Kira will explain everything to me and then I'll tell you later." He said, kissing the top of her head.

"Are you sure?" She asked, looking up at him. He nodded, kissing her lips this time.

"I'm sure. Go be with Stiles and Scott." She nodded her head, leaning up on her toes to kiss him again before making her way towards the exit.

**XXX**

Sophia stood beside Stiles, looking at the ground, both of Stiles and Scott doing the same thing. "Stiles," The doctor spoke, gaining the attention of the three teenagers. "Just want to warn you, you're going to hear a lot of noise during the MRI. It's due to pulses of electricity going through the metal coils inside the machine." Sophia reached down and grabbed Stiles' hand, lacing their fingers together when she noticed them scratching his other arm. "If you want we can get you earplugs or headphones."

"Oh, no. No, I don't need anything." Stiles said to the man, using his free hand to scratch his temple. Sophia glanced at Scott, who was looking at the ground aimlessly.

"Hey, we're just on the other side of that window." John said, gaining his son's attention. "Okay?"

"Okay." Stiles said. John and Melissa smiled at the boy and Stiles reached out with his free hand to pat his dad's shoulder. They and the doctor left, leaving the three of them in the room. Stiles glanced at both of his friends before looking down at his and Sophia's linked hands. "You know what they're looking for, right?" He asked. Scott made a small motion with his hands. Sophia shrugged softly, looking up at the boy. "It's called frontotemporal dementia." Scott looked over. "Areas of your brain start to shrink. It's what my mother had. It's the only form of dementia that can hit teenagers. And there's no cure." Sophia lifted their combined hands, pressing a kiss to the back of Stiles'. They sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Stiles, if you have it, I'll do something." Scott said, sniffling slightly. Sophia lifted their hands again, placing another kiss on it before placing it over her heart, letting Stiles feel the steady beat of it through her skin.

"We'll do something." She said and Stiles looked into her emerald eyes for a second before looking at Scott. He gently pulled his hand away from Sophia, gently wrapping it around her neck and pulling her into a hug. She felt Scott join in, his arm wrapping around her waist. Sophia gripped tightly to the back of Scott's shirt and Stiles' hospital gown, not wanting to let either of them go. They just held each other for a few seconds before they released each other. They all were sniffling as Scott gave Stiles an encouraging smile and made his way towards the door. Sophia wiped the tear from her eye, giving Stiles a smiled before leaning up and pressing a kiss to his temple. He leaned his head against hers for a moment before she pulled away, gripping his knee firmly before following Scott to the door. Scott closed it behind him, barely having time to open his arms before Sophia jumped into them. Scott held her tightly, letting her nuzzling up under his chin as she tried not to cry. They all needed to be strong for Stiles.

**XXX**

"Hey." Derek said quietly as she stood in front of Sophia. The girl looked up at him, smiling slightly.

"Hey." He leaned down; handing her a bag of M&amp;M's before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He shrugged off his jacket before sitting down next to her, across from Scott. The redhead opened the bag, pouring out a few pieces of candy before she rolled them around in her hands. They all remained silent.

"You know the stuff you were telling me about chemo signals earlier?" Scott said softly, breaking the silence. Derek looked up at him. Sophia didn't lift her gaze from the candy but she did listen. "It reminded me of the time you were teaching me to use anger to control the shift."

"I think you and Sophia ended up teaching me more about that." Derek said with a small smile, gently laying a hand on Sophia's thigh before removing it. The she-wolf smiled slightly, finally putting a blue piece of candy in her mouth.

"Are you teaching me again?" Scott asked.

"Think of it more like sharing a few trade secrets. You know, I took Cora back to South America, right? It's where she spent most of her time after the fire. But that's not the only reason I left." Derek explained. Sophia crushed the candy in her mouth before turning to the man beside her. "I needed to talk to my mother."

"Your dead mother?" Scott asked surprised. Sophia couldn't say much, she was just as surprised.

"She told me something that changed my perspective on a lot of things. She said my family didn't just live in Beacon Hills. They protected it. This town needs someone to protect it. Someone like you." He said, watching Scott.

"And someone like you to teach me a few trade secrets." Scott said with a small smile. Sophia smiled slightly as well, placing a few more pieces of candy in her mouth. Derek smiled as well. Scott stood up suddenly. "He was trying to protect us. Stiles was protecting us."

"From himself." Derek said. Scott grabbed his jacket as he made his way towards the stairs. Derek grabbed his and Sophia grabbed hers, stuffing her candy into her pocket as she slipped the jacket over her shoulders, pulling her hair out the back. "What are we looking for?" Derek asked when the three of them made it to the roof.

"I'm not sure." Scott answered. "But I think Stiles wasn't just up here struggling with himself. I think he was struggling not to do something." They all began looking around for anything that would tell them what they needed to know. Sophia jogged over to the boys just as Scott pulled a bag down, tools and wires scattering on the gravel. Scott looked at her and she looked back, her brow furrowing. Scott looked up; drawing Sophia and Derek's attention, a wire had been cut into, sparking every so often.

"That doesn't make any sense." Sophia said softly as they moved away from the generator. Moments later, it blew up, sending sparks everywhere. Derek wrapped an arm around Sophia's waist to pull her behind him. When the sparks died, the wire that Stiles had cut had disconnected it flew around before falling over the edge of the building.


	42. Letharia Vulpina

**A/N: A loss of motivation made it hard for me to continue this story… I'm really going to try and update at least once a week now! I know you guys have been waiting for this story and you've been so patient! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy! Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

As soon as the cable went over the side of the building, Scott spoke. "We need to get down there." He said, running towards the door leading back into the hospital. Derek and Sophia followed closely behind him. Instead of taking the elevator, they opted for the stairs, seeing as it would be faster than having to wait. When they reached the parking lot, they ran towards the cable. Before they could get very close, Derek threw his arms out, catching Scott's sweatshirt and wrapping an arm around Sophia to keep them from going into the water. The cable from the roof was sitting in the middle of it. Kira was standing in the middle of it. She reached out, grabbing the wire with one hand to hold it still before she reached out with the other, placing her hand over the sparking end. Her fist was glowing as the electricity continued to flow. All the light around them flickered before they went out and the cable stopped sparking. When Kira opened her eyes, even from where they were standing, they could see the normal brown were glowing a bright orange-red. She looked at Scott before they returned to their normal color. People began running out of the hospital when Kira dropped the cable. Sophia turned her eyes from the girl when Derek ran past her. She followed his path and saw Isaac lying on the ground. Sophia quickly ran after him, kneeling down beside him when he reached the beta.

"Isaac?" He asked, shaking the boy slightly.

"Come on Isaac." Sophia said, crawling over to his head. Derek placed two fingers on his neck, looking for a pulse. Sophia put her hand over his nose and mouth, waiting for him to breathe… nothing came.

"He's not breathing." Sophia said quietly, looking up at the older man. Derek looked up at her in shock before turning and yelling to Scott.

"Scott! He's not breathing!"

**XXX**

Sophia let out a small whine as she adjusted herself in the stiff, uncomfortable hospital bench. She had stayed since last night, calling her parents and telling them (in not so many details since they were over the phone and in a busy hospital) that she was going to stay until they let her see Isaac. She glanced at her side; Allison was laying her head on her shoulder. Sophia had tried to get the girl to go home and rest but she wouldn't leave. She glanced up at the elevator, nodding her head when she saw Scott and his mom.

"Have you two been here all night?" Scott asked. Sophia nodded softly, trying to adjust herself without waking Allison.

"Yeah, they won't let us see him since we're not family. I told them he doesn't have any but they don't care." She said, leaning her head back against the wall.

"He's got us." Melissa said. "And I've got a key card." Sophia chuckled before gently shaking the shoulder Allison was laying on.

"Allison, come on. We're gonna see Isaac. Melissa and Scott are here." She said, watching as the girl slowly blinked awake. When Allison was a little more awake, the three teens stood and went over to the door. Melissa swiped her card.

"Be quick." She said, watching as the three of them walk into Isaac's room. Allison reached out and grabbed Scott's hand as they moved closer. Scott and Allison took the left side of the bed while Sophia went to the right.

"I thought he'd be healing by now." Allison said.

"So did I." Scott nodded slightly.

"Electricity slows the healing process." Sophia said, clenching and unclenching her hands, wanting to touch the injured beta badly and take his pain. "That's why hunters use it against werewolves… that's why Kate used it the first time she came after Derek in the Hale house when I was there." Allison and Scott watched her for a moment. Scott finally reached out and gently laid a hand on Isaac's arm. Sophia reached out and gently put her hand on his shoulder, brushing his gown out of the way. Sophia gasped as she began to siphon the pain, taking as much as she dared. Derek had told her how he'd lost his Alpha power and, while Sophia didn't want to be an Alpha, having the power was proving helpful.

"It won't heal him, but it helps with the pain." Scott said as he and Sophia removed their hands. From what Sophia could tell with his breathing, he was feeling a little better. Almost completely free of pain since the two Alphas had split it between the two of them.

"Did Stiles really do this?" Allison asked and Sophia let out a hard sigh through her nose.

"Whatever's controlling him did it. Whatever's inside him." Scott looked at her.

"Well, then how do we get whatever's inside of him the hell out of him?" Allison asked.

"We're working on it." Sophia said, brushing her hair out of her face.

**XXX**

Sophia listened to Coach talk as she braided her hair. "No Stiles, no demonic ninjas. Things are getting too quiet." Aiden said, drawing the she-wolf's attention back to them. She put a hair tie at the end of the braid before grabbing her bag out of her locker and closing it.

"Yeah, I know." Scott said. "It's making me nervous, too."

"Do you guys hear that?" Ethan said and Sophia trained her ears. She tilted her head when she heard what Ethan had heard. A soft metallic pulsing… she remembered that sound. She turned to look at the three other wolves.

"It's an emitter." Sophia looked over at Scott.

"One of Argent's?" He asked and she nodded. She opened her locker, putting her bag back inside before following the three boys as they left the locker room. They all stepped out into the hallway where it was quiet, allowing them to hear it better.

"It's coming from the basement." Aiden said. They all moved to the first entrance to the basement they could find, walking down the stairs. Sophia glanced around, there was nothing on the left but to the right… that was a different story. Stiles was standing at the end of the hall with one of Chris' emitters in his hand.

"Okay, I know what you guys are thinking, but it's me." He said, raising his hands in a surrendering motion. He seemed like Stiles. Nothing was amiss from what Sophia could tell. "I swear to God, it's me." The twins growled, pushing between the Alphas to run at Stiles. They grabbed him and forced him into a wall, one holding him by his throat and the other by the front of his shirt.

"Wait, stop!" Scott said as he ran over.

"Ethan! Aiden!" Sophia called their names as she grabbed Ethan's shoulders, throwing him back into some lockers.

"I said stop!" Scott said to Aiden, who growled at him, eyes glowing blue. Scott snarled back, causing Ethan to avert his eyes in submission. Aiden began to get up, growling. Sophia growled back, standing over him. He hesitated for a moment, his body going tense before sagging, releasing it all. He looked at her with his regular human blue eyes. Sophia sighed, letting her fangs return to normal but not quite yet letting her eyes change from red to green.

"It's me, Scott. I swear it's me." Stiles whispered to Scott. Sophia didn't step any closer, watching the exchange from a few steps away. "I don't know where I've been the last two days or what I've been doing but this is me. I promise." There weren't any blips in his heartbeat.

"You know what happened at the hospital?" Aiden asked from behind Sophia and she growled in warning.

"I know more than that." Stiles said before he walked by them. Aiden got up slowly and moved so that he was standing beside Scott. Sophia, not sensing any danger from her best friend, finally let her eyes shift back. "You see this?" Stiles asked, holding up a piece of paper. It looked like blueprints. "It's a blueprint of the hospital's electrical wiring." Stiles spoke as he spread out the paper, Scott and Sophia kneeling down to look at it. "You see all these markings in red? That's my handwriting. I know I did this. I caused the accident." Ethan and Aiden came closer to the two Alphas. Sophia tilted her head as she looked up at him. Now something wasn't sitting well with her. "And everything in this bag, it's all stuff that could be part of something bigger." Aiden pulled out a Jigsaw.

"What the hell have you been up to?" He asked.

"I think something worse." Stiles said and Sophia looked between the saw and him. "A lot worse."

**XXX**

Sophia felt itchy and jittery in her own skin as the twins began taking everything out of the bag Stiles had. He was pacing around and while it seemed like a very Stiles thing to do, it was unnerving to her.

"What the hell were you doing? Building a Terminator?" Aiden asked the boy.

"Thank you for that." Stiles said with his usual level of sarcasm.

"Guys, this is a map." Scott said as he looked down at the piece of paper in his hands. He spread it out on the table, allowing the others in the room to see it.

"Isn't that the cross country trail?" Aiden asked, pointing to something on the map. Sophia didn't want to, put she got closer to see what the boys were talking about. Right over the trail on the map was a red line, the same red as the writing on the blueprint.

"That's the Tate car." Sophia said, pointing to the spot on the map. "Where Malia Tate's family died."

"You mean that's where her father put the steel-jawed traps." Stiles said and Scott glanced at Sophia. She nodded softly, turning and walking out.

"Where is she going?" Stiles asked.

"She's going to talk to Lydia, see if she's got a feeling." Scott said. Sophia couldn't help but sigh and wish that was all she was doing.

**XXX**

She was driving out to the cross country course when he phone went, she glanced at it. A text from Derek. "No, focus." She said to herself. "Just focus. You can text him back later." She said, nodding. She could do that. She glanced at it one more time. "To hell with it." She stepped on the brakes, the Camaro's tires locking up as she put it in park. She picked up the phone, typing in her passcode and reading it.

_**From Big Bad (10:34 am)**_

_**So, no need to worry but… arrested again and accused of murder. If you could come down to the station and help that would be great. XoXo**_

She blinked at the text. "Are you shitting me?!" She asked no one. She threw the phone in her lap as she turned the Camaro around and headed towards down. "Don't worry, I only got arrested again at the worst time ever. I'm going to kill him." Sophia growled out, pushing the gas pedal down a little hard and shifting a little faster.

**XXX**

'_Okay, so here's how things are going. Coach was shot with an arrow in the stomach while Stiles was trying to find the steel trap and apparently, there is a bomb like Barrow's on one of the the bus.' _Scott said to Sophia. She sighed, slowing down a little so she didn't crash.

"So what now?" She asked.

'_Apparently that new officer, Deputy Parrish, is going to find out if the bomb is real.' _Stiles said into the phone. Sophia's brow furrowed.

"Is he certified for that?" She asked and both boys made a noise that basically said I don't know. "Whatever. I have something of the utmost importance to take care of and then I'll be back."

'_What is it?' _Scott asked and Sophia licked her lips.

"I'll tell you all about it after I make sure I can actually do something about it." She said and Scott made a noise of agreement. "Keep me updating through texts. I may not answer them but I'll get them." She said.

'_We will.' _Scott said.

"Be careful boys." She said before hanging up the phone. She set it in the passenger seat. The Nogitsune had something big planned. Something was happening. There was a reason Stiles was back and lead them to where the trap was. There was a reason Derek was (once again) being framed for murder. She pulled into the Sheriff's department. With a sigh she got out of the car before ducking back inside. When she had what she was after, she closed the door and locked it behind her before she made her way inside. She smiled at the officer at the front desk; he smiled back when he noticed the Styrofoam container in her hand.

"Who's that for?" He asked. Sophia looked down at it and then back up with a smile.

"The Sheriff. You know how Stiles likes him to eat healthy. I know things have been pretty crazy around here so I thought I'd bring him lunch."

"Well, he's not here right now…" The officer said. Sophia smiled, waving a hand.

"No big deal. It's just a salad. I can go throw it in the fridge in his office." He officer nodded, letting her back into the station. "Thanks." She said, opening the door and walking inside. Her eyes immediately landed on Derek and Chris, who were handcuffed to the bench just outside the Sheriff's office. She snorted, that's funny. As soon as she walked through the doorway, Derek looked up. She offered him a tight-lipped smile as she walked closer. They talked quietly and in the crowded and noisy station, she couldn't hear a word but as she got closer she could make things out. She watched as Derek looked down at his hand, twisting it to get a better look at the cuffs before he spoke.

"_I could easily get out of these, you know."_ He said to Argent.

"_So could I_." The other man said. "_But I'm not interested in being a fugitive from the law._"

"_Well…_" Derek said back, glancing up at Sophia as she slowly made her way closer, her head tilted just enough so that Derek knew she was listening to their voices, even through all the noise around them. "_I'm not interested in being a victim to a 17-year-old possessed by a psychotic fox._" Sophia could just hear the sass dripping from each of Derek's words. She bit back a smile. Chris turned to look at the other man.

"_Just give me a few more minutes._" The werewolf glanced up at her before looking back down at his cuffed hand. "_Derek!"_ Chris said to him forcefully. The Beta sighed and rested his hand back on the bench.

"_Fine. If something happens, don't expect me to risk my life trying to save yours._" He said looking over at Chris before he turned his attention back to the redhead. She glanced around the room. There was only one desk close enough to them that they would be able to hear her talk without it looking so obvious. She set the empty Styrofoam container (found in the Camaro) down on Parrish's desk before leaning against it, facing Derek and Chris. It was at this moment Chris realized the she-wolf was there.

"What are you doing here?" Chris asked her softly, knowing she could hear him. She glanced around to see if anyone was actually paying any attention to her.

"Seeing what I can do to get you two out of here." She mumbled, her lips barely moving and her voice barely loud enough for Derek to hear, she knew that he would relay the message to the former hunter.

"I'm working on a plan." Chris said back. Sophia snorted.

"Yeah and look how well that one's going." She glanced at Derek, her eyes flashing red before his flashed blue. "You alright?" She asked. He nodded his head mutely. Chris looked between the two werewolves quietly before he looked back around the station.

**XXX**

For a police station, everything was relatively calm until… well… all hell broke loose. Everyone began running around and shouting at one another. Sophia looked at Derek and Chris; they looked as confused as she felt. One officer ran over to them, beginning to unlock Chris' cuffs from the bench.

"What's happening?" Chris asked the man but he didn't answer. One of Chris' hands was free so the officer moved onto the other. "What's happening?" Chris asked Derek. Sophia watched as Derek turned around to look into the Sheriff's office. She followed his gaze and tried to sort through everything she was hearing until she found it. A faint ticking sound… coming from within the office.

"Get down!" Derek yelled, pushing the officer down as he threw his body over Chris. Sophia ducked to the side, covering the officer's head with her body, using her arms to cover her own head. She jumped when the room just a foot or two from her exploded. Sophia waited until everything settled before she sat up. Her ears were ringing, she couldn't hear a thing. She checked over the officer underneath her quickly before she turned her attention to Derek and Chris. She stood up, stumbling as her equilibrium was thrown off, making her way over to Derek. She grabbed his arm, helping the Beta off of Chris. Her eyes flashed red as she reached down and easily broke the one cuff still holding him to the bench.

"Derek?" She said to him. She couldn't even hear her own voice; her ears were still ringing too loud. The older man was panting hard and wincing. She glanced at his back; there was a mess of debris, glass and wood embedded into his back. She settled her hand to his lower back, letting him lean some weight on her.

"Derek. Derek." Chris said as he stood form the bench as well, reaching out to grab one of the Beta's arms and steady him.

"I'm okay." He said softly, wincing again as he leaned his weigh into the Alpha. "I'm okay. I'm okay." Derek said, gently pulling Sophia closer. He blinked slowly, leaning back a little too far. Sophia and Chris had to steady the Beta again as he blinked his eyes open once more and really try to get his feet under him.

"You saved my life." Chris said awe.

"I need to get this glass out." Sophia said to Chris, causing the man to look at her.

"My apartment is closer." He said and she nodded.

"Let's go. While everyone's distracted." She said, glancing around as she and Chris helped Derek out the backdoor of the Sheriff's station. Once outside, Sophia gently pushed the injured Beta to Chris as she jogged over to a police SUV. She punched through the window, glancing at her bleeding hand as she popped the lock and opened the door. She reached down and popped the bottom of the Driver's side dashboard off, exposing all the wires.

"Do you even know how to do that?" He asked. She glanced at him over her shoulder as she used her claws to strip wires and cut them before twisting them together.

"You'd be amazed at what I actually know how to do." She said before she twisted the final wires together and the SUV rumbled to life. "Get in the back." She said as she got into the Driver's seat. Chris wasted to time getting to the back of the SUV and opening the doors. He helped Derek in before he got in and closed the doors behind him. Sophia quickly backed out (trying not to throw Chris or Derek around too much) before she turned onto the main road and headed towards Chris' apartment building.


	43. Echo House

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I had a loss of inspiration and then life happened so it made it hard to right! I'm going to try really hard to keep focused and stay with the story! Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review! It would mean a lot to me! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Derek groaned and shifted under Sophia, who was sitting on his lower back. "Derek, I know this hurts and I will take your pain as soon as possible but right now you have to hold still for me." She said as she tried to reach for another piece of glass. The beta groaned as soon as he finger brushed against it and he tried to move away from her hand.

"Just pull them out." Chris said from where he was standing to the wolves left.

"Don't tell me how to do this." She said, not looking up at the man.

"Well you're making it worse by taking it slow." Chris took a few steps closer and Sophia turned to him and growled, her eyes flashing red. He stopped in his tracks.

"When did you become an Alpha?" He asked and Sophia turned back to Derek as she grabbed a hold of a piece of glass and ripped it from Derek's back. He growled in pain and tried to buck her off.

"A while ago." She said, growling when Derek kept moving. She placed a hand on the back of his neck, gripping it firmly. "Der, I know it hurts and I'm trying to help but I can't if you keep moving. So sit still and breathe while I pull the rest out." Sophia said, taking on a bit of the Alpha voice. She felt Derek's tense body sag under her. He was still slightly tense but much less than he was before. She kept the one hand on the back of his neck as she used her other free hand to quickly pull the rest of the glass and wood out of his back. He was tense periodically, but didn't try to move under the Alpha. Chris watched silently as the girl continued to work. Ten minutes later, she slid to the floor beside the couch, relaxing. She reached behind her, pressing her hand to Derek's ribs and siphoning his pain. She felt her own back begin to burn from the pain. She watched as the wounds began to heal and Derek relaxed completely under her. When there was no more pain to take, she let her hand drop before she leaned her head back, resting it on the side of the couch.

"How?" Chris asked, watching as she got up to walk to the kitchen. She returned with a glass of water for the Beta.

"I killed an Alpha when the Alpha pack was here. It was in self-defense and I didn't know he was dead until the next morning." She said, setting the glass on the table, watching Derek. "You know they're going to come looking for you to take you back to jail and I don't think I can get you guys out this time." She said, turning to Chris. The hunter nodded his head.

"I know. I'm not sure what we're going to do." She nodded her head, sitting across from the man.

"You're going to go back to the station first of all." He nodded and she looked over her shoulder as Derek sat up. She reached into the bag she'd brought and threw him one of his shirts.

"Thanks." He said, slipping it over his head before grabbing the water and chugging it. She offered him a small smile before turning back to Chris. She heard the elevator ding and she looked towards the door.

"Times up." She said, getting up and walking towards the bedrooms, slipping into the one belonging to Allison.

"Times up?" Chris whispered before the door was opened and a few officers came in. "Oh…" In a few minutes, they were cuffed and taken downstairs to get back to the station. Sophia sighed and leaned her head back against the wall.

**XXX**

Sophia sat on Allison's bed, looking up when the door opened. The girl gasped; dropping everything she was carrying and holding a hand over her heart. "Oh, God!" Sophia smirked a little, dropping her head so that she couldn't see. "Is this a wolf thing? Scaring people to death?" She said, crossing her arms.

"No but Derek and Scott like to make it a thing so, hey, when in Rome." Sophia said, standing up. "Did you get a call from your dad?" She said and Allison picked all of her stuff up, bringing it into her room and setting on her desk.

"Yeah, all of the Katashi evidence is being moved." She said, sitting on the bed and looking up at the she-wolf. Sophia nodded.

"Derek called me and said the same thing. What exactly are we looking for?" Sophia asked.

"We're looking for something called a Shugendo Scroll. The scroll had information on how to exorcise a Nogitsune. Katashi wanted it for himself and had one of his guys buy it. My dad thinks that since Katashi was so paranoid it would have been on his person at all times." Allison explained and the redhead nodded.

"Well that sounds… interesting." Sophia said. "And how are we going to get it if the evidence is being moved to a _federal_ lock up?"

"That's the fun part." Lydia said from behind Sophia. The older girl turned around, raising an eyebrow at her. "We're going to need a little more wolf power." Allison nodded, pulling out her phone and texting Scott. Lydia began texting Aiden and Sophia sighed, pulling out her phone and texting Ethan even though she knew the brothers would probably be together.

**XXX**

Fifteen minutes later there was a knock at the door. Allison moved to answer it while Sophia leaned against the doorway to Chris' office, watching her. "My father said all of the Katashi evidence in being moved to a federal lock up by armored car tonight." Allison said when she saw that it was the three other wolves. Allison stopped beside Lydia and Sophia, who were waiting. "Probably within the next few hours." The three girls stood together, looking at the boys.

"Well, this is a change of pace." Sophia said smirking, looking at Allison and Lydia. "We're the ones coming up with the crazy plan." The boys watched them for a moment.

"We're going to rob an armored car?" Aiden asked them.

"Well, we're going to try." Lydia said. They all stepped into Chris' office where they had already laid everything out.

"This is a really bad plan." Scott said as if they didn't all already know that.

"It's not that bad." Lydia said.

"It's not that good." Ethan said as he walked around Lydia. Sophia glanced over at Aiden; he was sitting in a chair, rubbing his forehead. She wanted to laugh but this was serious.

"None of us knows the route they're going to take. If Allison can get one of her dad's GPS trackers on the armored car, then we can follow it." Lydia explained and so far, seemed pretty okay. Okay, nothing about this plan was okay but Sophia was trying to be positive. Of course, nothing about this plan was positive either.

"So when it gets here…" Allison pointed to a marked point on the map.

"We attack." Aiden spoke for the first time since he'd walked into the apartment. Lydia turned to him.

"No. Your bikes will be in the middle of the road, looking like you guys got into an accident. And when the driver gets out to help…" Lydia explained further.

"We attack him?" Aiden said, more like a question.

"No!" All of the girls said together.

"You'll distract him." Lydia said. "And Scott and Sophia will break open the back door."

"I hope." Scott said and Sophia nodded. Lydia rolled her eyes.

"And you'll get Katashi's finger." Lydia said to Ethan.

"It's not his actual finger, is it?" He asked her. Scott looked from Ethan to Lydia and Sophia couldn't help but do the same.

"You are so out of our league." Lydia said and Sophia chuckled softly.

"Why aren't we just going to Stilinski for help?" Ethan asked.

"Because if he gets caught, then it's the Sheriff tampering with federal evidence." Sophia said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Guys, this is going to work. We can do this." Allison said. "We're losing Stiles. My dad's in jail for murder. Derek's in there with him. We need to do this."

**XXX**

The plan was now in action, Kira had joined their little rag-tag team based on Scott's recommendation. Sophia waited with the twins when she got a text. She glanced over at them before pulling her phone out and swiping the screen.

_**From Scott (9:34 pm)**_

_**We have a problem.**_

_**To Scott (9:34 pm)**_

_**What kind of problem?**_

Sophia waited patiently for Scott to answer her. She glanced back at the twins. She wasn't going to tell them just yet. Not until she knew what was going on.

_**From Scott (9:36 pm)**_

_**Werewolf**_

That was all he wrote and Sophia knew what it meant. She stepped over to the twins, grabbing one of them by the shoulder (she still couldn't tell which one was which and they were together all the time so they smelled almost the exact same). "I'm going to need to borrow your bike." She said.

"Why?" Aiden asked. At least she thought it was Aiden…

"Scott needs me to head back that way. Just say here. They ran into a little bump in the road." Sophia said and the brothers looked at each other before nodding. Aiden slipped off the bike before Sophia slipped on. She started it up, reeved it a few times, before she turned around and headed back in the direction of the Sheriff's Department.

**XXX**

The bike slid to a stop when she pulled into the parking lot. The big Beta had already knocked Kira and Allison away and was outmatching Scott by sheer size alone. He head-butted Scott, knocking him back. He managed to catch himself before he went after him again. The Beta easily avoided Scott's attack, easily knocking him to the ground and kicking him once he was there. Sophia could hear him wheezing from where she was. She got off the bike, stalking closer as he eyes changed to red.

"Right here." She said, growling as she completely took on her Beta-shift. He looked up at her, releasing a growl of his own as Sophia charged him, jumping over Scott to slash his face with her claws. She caught him across the cheek before he pushed her into the wall to their right. She growled before coming at him again, ducking his own swipe to get the back of his knees. He fell, growling at the Alpha as he tried to get a hold of her legs. She jumped over him, managing to claw at the back of his neck. When her feet hit the ground, he was able to get up. He turned to her, roaring, before two more growls were heard. They both turned, seeing the twins running towards them, their eyes shining blue. The pair of them had easily cornered the bigger Alpha while Sophia went over to Scott to help him up.

"Stop! Ethan, Aiden…" Scott said as Sophia helped him up.

"Stop!" Lydia said, stepping towards them. Both twins stopped and looked at her.

"You want him to come after us?" Aiden asked, pointing to the downed Beta.

"Scott, we've seen guys like this. Trust us. He's dangerous." Ethan said to the young Alpha.

"So are we." Scott said once he was able to stand under his own power. "And he looks smart enough to remember that." He walked over to the man and reached into his jacket, pulling out the silver finger. Hitting it once against his palm caused the tiny scroll to fall out. Scott held his hand out to Sophia, letting her see it before offering a small smile to Allison. "We're here to save a life. Not end one." He dropped the finger on the ground and Sophia nodded. Scott was going to be really good at this Alpha thing.

**XXX**

"There isn't much here, unfortunately." Deaton said as he read over the small scroll.

"Does it say anything?" Scott asked. Sophia glanced at him before turning back to Deaton.

"My Japanese isn't great." Deaton said, looking between the two Alphas. "But it appears to say that one method of expelling the Nogitsune is to change the body of the host."

"Change the body?" Sophia asked, placing her elbows on her knees as she leaned forward in the chair she was sitting in.

"Which begs the question, how do we change Stiles' body?" Deaton asked them and they were both silent before Sophia realized it, looking over at Scott as she stood up, drawing his attention.

"By turning him into a werewolf." They said together in equally soft voices.


	44. The Fox and The Wolf

**A/N: Sorry for the wait everyone! I'm hoping to start updating all of my ongoing stories on Sundays! As usual, please fave, follow, and review to let me know what you guys think!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia smiled at Derek when he looked at her and he smiled back. He and Chris were finally getting released after it was proven that they had nothing to do with Katashi's murder. When Sophia had found out, she'd been waiting at the Sheriff's Department all day. They were getting all of their personal belongings back when Parrish popped open one of Chris' electrical batons.

"Sorry, but I can't let you walk out with this." Parrish said to the man. "It's way above the legal voltage limit."

"I only use it for hunting." Chris answered and both Derek and Sophia turned to him, the latter raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure you could use it to jump-start a 747." Parrish replied. Neither man backed out, Sophia kinda liked this Parrish guy.

"This property belongs to me and the charges were dropped. Although, I'm not exactly sure who's responsible for that." Chris said, looking between Derek and Sophia. The girl smiled slightly when she saw John walk up beside the other man. She walked over to stand beside Derek, taking in the scent of pine and leather.

"I am. I'll take care of this, Parrish." John said to the younger man. Chris and Derek turned the Sheriff quickly when they heard his voice.

"Sheriff, I'm not kidding." Parrish said to the man. "This thing's a few watts from being a lightsaber." Sophia laughed and tried to cut it off by coughing when everyone turned to her.

"Sorry, something got stuck in my throat." She said, playing innocent. Chris stepped closer to the werewolf pair before turning back to John. The Sheriff grabbed the baton from Parrish.

"I said I'll take care of it." He said, closing it. "If you three would follow me." John said, leading the three of them back into his office. They stood in front of his desk while he walked behind it, setting the baton down and taking in a breath.

"The specialist I saw in LA told me the thing that every doctor says when he's trying to avoid a lawsuit. "_We can't say for sure". _And then I spoke with Melissa." He reached under a file to pull out some pictures. "These are brain scans. My wife's and Stiles'." He handed them to Chris. Sophia squeezed in between Chris and Derek so that she could see them as well. "I knew they were similar. But those are the same. Exactly the same."

"And I'm guessing this isn't possible?" Derek asked and Sophia shook her head.

"Not even remotely." John answered.

"So the trickster is still playing tricks." Chris said, handing the scans back to John.

"But why this trick?" Derek asked, leaning against the desk.

"When I was in the Army, an officer told me, "If you want to defeat your enemy, you don't take away their courage. You take away their hope."" John explained.

"You don't look like a man who gives up hope easily." Chris said to the man.

"But Stiles might." Sophia nodded softly. Derek reached down and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together. She looked up at him as he looked down at her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before they turned their attention back to John. "If this thing inside him, if it's using his mother's disease as some sort of psychological trick, then this isn't just a fight for his body. It's also a fight for his mind, right?" Sophia took in a deep breath and leaned in closer to Derek. He turned his body slightly, subconsciously even, to comfort his Alpha.

"You know, he's left people severely injured." Chris said.

"And others severely dead." Derek said looking at Chris. Sophia pursed her lips, trying not to laugh. This was no time for laughing but Derek could be just as sassy as Peter when he wanted to be. Sophia looked up at him and shook her head softly. The room was silent for a moment.

"That's why I need the three of you." John said, drawing their attention back to him. "I need people who are experienced in this kind of thing. I need you to help me stop him."

"And by stop him, you mean trap him." Chris replied and John nodded.

"It won't be easy to trap a fox…" Sophia said, drawing their attention to her. She tilted her head while looking at the ground before looking up at John. "But I think I can come up with something..." John nodded before picking up the baton and handing it back to the hunter. Chris grabbed it but John held firm for a moment, having an eye-conversation before letting it go. Chris looked at Sophia and Derek and she nodded.

**XXX**

"This is everything non-lethal I could find." Allison said as she led Chris, Sophia, Derek, and John through the Argent's apartment to her father's study.

"Take all of it." Chris said once he'd looked over the table.

"What's the plan here?" John asked, looking at Sophia before turning to Chris.

"Well, Chris and I were thinking that at this moment, we need to get Stiles scent and the best way to do that is for Derek and I to get it from Eichen House." Sophia said, throwing the rope on one end of the desk to Allison.

"Especially if he went through something stressful there." Chris said, looking at John.

"Should all five of us be going to the same place?" John asked.

"Where else has Stiles been showing up?" Chris asked.

"School. The hospital." Allison answered.

"Okay, hold on. We did this already." Derek said, getting everyone's attention. "He disappeared. We started looking for him. Then walked right into a trap at the hospital."

"He is right about that." Sophia said, pointing to Derek.

"He's getting us to repeat the same moves." Chris said, looking at their group.

"_Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it_." Sophia said, crossing her arms and leaning her hip against the desk.

"So what do we do? Wait for him to come to us?" Allison asked.

"We can't." Derek answered.

"The Oni come out when the sun goes down. They'll find him before we do." Sophia said, agreeing with him.

"Scott's working on them right now, with Kira." John said, turning to the redhead.

"No one tells me anything." She muttered before turning her attention back the task at hand.

"That's the problem." Chris said. "We're all trying to outfox the fox."

"Listen, I'll understand if anyone wants to back out." John said, looking over all of them.

"I'm not gonna be the first wolf that runs from a fox." He said, reaching around Sophia to grab a taser. Sophia chuckled.

"Me neither." She grabbed another one and a pair of handcuffs.

"Apparently I'm carrying a lightsaber." Chris said, holding up the baton.

"Can I laugh at that yet without it being inappropriate?" Sophia asked with a smile and Chris rolled his eyes. Sophia chuckled.

"Dad, you and Derek hit Eichen House. Sheriff, it's you and me in the hospital. We all meet in the school." Allison said, making the game plan. Sophia raised an eyebrow. "You're his best friend, you know of places that we may not even know about. That's why I left your options open." She said, smiling at the redhead.

"I don't know if I should be pissed or flattered." She said with a chuckle. With a sigh, she turned and followed John and Allison out the door.

**XXX**

Sophia had a list of places to check for Stiles. She hit a few smaller places, places she didn't think were important. As she was walking back to her car, her phone rang, Allison's name flashing across the screen. "Hey." She said, holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear.

"Listen, Stiles' house! He's there in Stiles' room!" Allison said quickly.

"What? Are you sure?" Sophia asked as she got into her car and started it up.

"Absolutely, the Sheriff put in cameras when Stiles began to sleep walk. He's sitting on the bed right now." She said and Sophia pushed the gas down harder to get to get to his house.

**XXX**

She pulled up to Stiles' house at the same time as the others. Once they made their way up the stairs and into Stiles' room, they saw that it was empty.

"What is all this?" Chris asked, motioning to a chess board that was set up with little tabs on each piece. "What are these sticky notes for?"

"This is what Stiles used to try and explain to me about all of you." John said, glancing up at them before looking back down at the board.

"Well, maybe it's a message from Stiles. The real Stiles." Allison said. Chris picked up a pawn off to the side, Isaac was written on the top of it. It was almost like he'd been captured, since he was no longer 'in the game'.

"You guys think there's any reason my name's on the king?" Derek asked and Sophia looked, it was true. His name was written on a pink sticky note.

"Well, you're heavily guarded." John said. Sophia's brow furrowed as she picked up the queen from where it was sitting in front of the king. Her name was written on top.

"I'm the queen?" She asked before looking up at John before putting it back where it was. Ethan and Aiden were on each side of her as pawns. She was on the square directly in front of Derek's king. "Chess isn't my game… why would the queen be protecting the king?" Sophia asked, glancing around at everyone but turning her attention to John. She remembered that Stiles had talked about his dad playing.

"The king is the endgame and the queen is technically qualified as the most powerful piece." John explained. Sophia looked up at him with a furrowed brow. "The queen came move an unlimited number of unoccupied squares vertically, diagonally, or horizontally. The queen piece is most effective when the board is open." Sophia looked down at the board.

"Well… I wouldn't consider this open." She said, motioning to the pieces all over the board. The queen could move left one space, right three spaces, or forward to capture the enemy pawn unless it was the Nogitsune's turn and then she would be captured.

"Neither would I." John said. "I guess the most alarming detail is that Sophia is one move from being captured and Derek is one move from in checkmate."

"It's not a message from Stiles." Chris said. Sophia looked over her shoulder when Derek took a step closer to her to get a better look at the board. "It's a threat from the Nogitsune."

"He's at the loft." Sophia said, looking up at everyone. "That's why he hasn't done checkmate yet."

"He wants us to come there." Allison said, looking at Sophia, who nodded.

"Night's falling." Derek said.

"This couldn't sound more like a trap." Chris said in response.

"I don't think it is." John said, looking at the board.

"I think your opinion might be slightly biased, Sheriff."

"Hear me out. What we're dealing with here is basically someone who lacks motive. No rhyme, no reason, right?"

"Meaning what?"

"Our enemy is not a killer? It's a trickster. The killing is just a by-product."

"If you're trying to say it won't kill us, I'm not feeling too confident about that." Derek said and Sophia turned towards him.

"He won't." She said, looking into his indescribable eyes before turning back to the Sheriff.

"It wants irony." John said to him. "It wants to play a trick. It wants a joke. All we need to do is come up with a new punch line."

"The sun is setting, Sheriff. What do you have in mind?" Chris asked the man. John looked down at the board, placing his finger on top of the queen. Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"Just when I thought he was getting good at this supernatural crap he does that." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

**XXX**

"You ready?" John asked and Sophia nodded softly. He slid the door to the loft open and Stiles was standing directly in the middle of the room, the wall of windows. The pair stepped into the loft a few steps before stopping. Stiles turned around and Sophia could tell, just by the way he moved that he wasn't the real Stiles. She remained silent, glancing at John briefly before turning her attention back to him.

"Hi Dad. Hey Sophie." He said to them.


	45. De-Void

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait everyone! Every time I tried to sit down and edit something would come up or my ADD would kick in and I would completely forget what I was doing, lol! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! :D I'll try to post again before next week, on Sunday or I might just wait until Monday. But anyway, please enjoy and don't forget to fave, follow, and review please! It would mean a lot to me!**

**P.S: This is probably one of the longest Teen Wolf chapters I've done in a while! I'm pretty excited about that! This one was fun to write so I hope you guys like it as much as I do!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia watched silently as John pulled his handcuffs off his belt, letting them dangle from his hands, letting Stiles –or the Nogitsune– see them.

"You want to handcuff me?" Stiles asked. His leg was twitching and his fingers were tapping an indescribable beat on his thighs. Everything she'd seen Stiles do. While she thought it was the Nogitsune, the more she saw him copy Stiles' behavior, the more she is unsure about who is actually in control.

"If my son is still here, if there's still a part of him standing here in front of me, then he'll put these on willingly and he'll come with me, because he knows I'm here to protect him." John said as he walked down the steps, making slow, calculated steps towards Stiles. "From himself and from others." Stiles held up his hands, letting John snap the cuffs into place. Sophia watched from her place by the door. When he looked up, she knew immediately that it wasn't Stiles. "You're not my son." John said in a low voice, easily sharing the thoughts of the redhead. He easily broke the cuffs and Sophia made her way down the steps, making her way over to John. Allison, Chris, and Derek walked in a moment later. They followed her down, making a semi-circle around the Nogitsune.

He glanced at all of them before his eyes landed on Allison. She pulled a Taser from her pocket before pulling the trigger. They weren't expecting him to grab the wires, easily holding them as the electricity crackled. With a flick of his wrist, he knocked it out of Allison's hand. Derek growled, charging towards him. Stiles easily blocked his arm as he went in for a punch before twisting it behind his back. Stepping forward, he slammed Derek's head into a table before throwing him to the side, his back colliding with one of the support beams. The Beta fell to the ground, coughing from the air being knocked out of his lungs.

Sophia let her eyes bleed red and her fangs drop as she snarled. She made a move towards Stiles, throwing a punch to his left, hoping he would take the bait. He stepped back away from her. She stepped forward again, trying to get him on the right. He quickly, much to Sophia's surprise, managed to grab her arm, twist it behind her back and kick the back of her knees out from under her. She fell to the floor, the Nogitsune pulling painfully at her arm that he still had a hold of. He placed a foot between her shoulder blades, pressing hard as he pulled her arm harder. When she felt that her arm was going to either be pulled out of its socket or break, she thought she heard a gun cocking. Before she could figure out if it was just her imagination, she received a strong kick to the ribs, knocking her away from the Nogitsune and into one of the walls of the loft. She grunted as she got her arm pulled in front of her. She panted as she watched the scene in front of her. Stiles turned his full attention to Chris as the man was pointing his gun at him.

"Argent, listen to me. Don't do this." John said to the other man, holding up his hand.

"Why not? I've done it before." Chris said. Sophia watched them, vaguely aware of Derek make his way behind Stiles and over to her. He knelt down beside her, gently probing her shoulder as they listened to Chris. "Werewolves, berserkers. I can easily add a Nogitsune to the list."

"Are you okay?" Derek asked her quietly. She nodded her head, looking over at the man.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm healing." She wiggled her fingers; the pain was less than it had been just a moment ago. They turned back to the scene when they heard another gun cock. John had pulled his gun on Chris. Stiles made a face of shock but Sophia could see, even from where she was sitting, that it was all an act by the Nogitsune. Chris looked over to the other man.

"You're not going to shoot my son." John said, not wavering at all.

"You said it yourself, Sheriff. That's not your son." Chris said, looking from John to the Nogitsune. It smiled at Chris.

"Come on." Derek said, grabbing her left arm and helping her up.

"Put it down." John said calmly to the other man. "Put it down." He said most forcibly.

"Dad, he's going to shoot me." Stiles said, he sounded scared. To the Nogitsune, this was all a game. Why not add some fuel to the fire by playing with the Sheriff's emotions. As much as it killed Sophia to hear him talk in a small, soft voice like that, she had to remind herself that it wasn't Stiles. It was the Nogitsune. "He's going to kill me, Dad." She could even see the tears welling up in his eyes.

"Don't listen." Chris said, his eyes never leaving Stiles.

"Put it down." John said to the man again. "Now! Do it! Put it down!" John yelled.

"Pull the trigger. Come on." The Nogitsune said to Chris, not bothering to play with the man.

"Listen to me; you put the gun down now!" John yelled at Chris. Sophia noticed that Chris' face change.

"Shoot me." The Nogitsune said again.

"Put the gun down!" John yelled again.

"Dad." Allison said to the man but her voice was lost in the echo of John's.

"Shoot me!" The Nogitsune yelled.

"Put the gun down!" John yelled again.

"Shoot me!" The Nogitsune yelled again.

"Argent, you put it down!" John yelled to the hunter. Sophia turned to Allison, she had thought she'd heard the girl say something but with the yelling, even her heightened senses couldn't pick it up. Allison, Derek, and Sophia were the first to notice that the sun had went down. It was getting dark, quickly.

"Stop, stop it! This is what he wants." Allison said to the two men. "This is exactly what he wants."

"Not exactly." The Nogitsune said to her. The room fell silent, everyone's eyes on him. "I was kind of hoping Scott would be here. But I'm glad you all have your guns out. But you're not here to kill me." He turned to the windows and five Oni appeared, hands on their swords. "You're here to protect me." Stiles took a few steps back until he was behind John and Chris. Sophia took a step away from Derek, nodding when the Beta looked at her. The Oni drew their swords right before John and Chris began firing at two of the Oni. The she-wolf noticed that Chris had to reach into his coat to pull out a spare gun since the one that he had been aiming at Stiles wasn't firing. Her brow furrowed but ignored the fact as Derek, Allison, and Sophia turned to face the door of the loft. The three other Oni appearing again, moving in to attack.

**XXX**

Sophia curled onto her side as she placed her hand over the bleeding wound on her stomach. Derek and Chris kneeled on either side of her. There was some movement by the door, John and Chris instantly lifted their guns only to drop them when they realized that it was Kira and Scott.

"What happened?" Scott asked after getting a look at everyone.

"They disappeared." Allison answered. "They literally just vanished."

"And so did Stiles." John said with a sigh. Derek gently shifted Sophia from the floor so that her upper body was cradled on his lap. He gently cupped her side under her shirt, siphoning some of her pain.

"Thanks." She mumbled, resting her head on his bicep. He smiled softly before looking back up at Scott.

"Is she going to be okay?" Her best friend asked as he came over to them, kneeling down. Derek nodded his head.

"She will be. She just needs time to heal." He said, gently pulling at the shirt covering the wound. Being an Alpha, they could already see it healing. He placed an arm behind her shoulders before putting one under her knees and picking her up bridal style. He gently carried and placed her on his bed. As he slid his arms out from under her, she gripped his wrist tightly before letting her hand drop, falling into a light sleep, giving her body some time to heal. Slowly, everyone trickled out of the loft. There wasn't really anything to clean up but the bullet casing from John and Chris' guns. That was done in moments before Derek made his way over to the chessboard sitting on the coffee table. He grabbed it and brought it over to the table by the windows, glancing at Sophia was he went to make sure she was still asleep.

**XXX**

Sophia wasn't sure how long she'd slept but she was awakened by someone moving beside the bed. She opened her eyes and saw that, instead of Derek, it was Peter standing there. He had gently picked her shirt up to look at the wound. He looked up at her face when she shifted, realizing she was awake. He dropped the shirt and leaned over to her head, brushing some hair out of her face. There was a compassion and worry in his blue eyes that Sophia hadn't seen recently.

"What have you gotten yourself into this time, little one?" He asked softly. Sophia remembered him calling her that from the time when she grew up with the Hales… before the fire. She was the smallest of the kids and the nickname just stuck. This was the first time in seven years that she'd heard him say that. She chuckled, only feeling a dull ache spread through her midsection. She sat up slowly, lifting up her shirt to see that the wound was almost totally healed.

"You know me, always getting into trouble." She said and the older man shook his head.

"I see that." He gave her a small, genuine smile before a sound caught their attention. They both looked over at the table; Derek was standing there in a gray wife beater, setting up a game of chess. Sophia reached over and grabbed her bag, rummaging through it until she found a tank top. She switched shirts before standing up and making her way over to him. Peter followed behind her silently.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she came to stand beside him.

"I think the more important question here is, why aren't you healing?" Peter asked as he came to a stop beside Sophia. At the older Beta's question, she looked at his shoulder. It was still very much an open wound compared to Sophia's which was just about done healing. It was a deep, gruesome-looking cut. It was long as well, running from his left shoulder to the bottom of that shoulder blade. He looked at his shoulder before glancing at Sophia.

"It's from their swords. It'll heal." Derek said, watching his uncle as the man walked around the table until he was standing in front of them on the other side.

"Derek, mine's almost healed." The she-wolf said, lifting her shirt for him to see. He looked at it, his face never changing. He didn't want Sophia to see that he was now a little concerned with the fact that he hadn't even started to heal yet.

"You're an Alpha. Everything heals faster for you." He said, turning back to the chessboard, trying to keep his breathing and heart even so that neither Peter nor Sophia would be able to tell what he was thinking. "Mine will heal too."

"By playing chess?" Peter asked.

"Back in his room, Stiles had a board with our names on two of the pieces." Derek said, setting up all of the pieces the way he remembered them from the board in Stiles' room. "If this is a game to him, then I need to figure out the plays." Peter began helping to set up some of the pieces as well.

"Not so easy to do when it's a game without rules." The older man said, looking between the two younger wolves. They both looked at him.

"What does that mean?" Sophia asked. Peter sighed.

"You're dealing with the kind of spirit that's lived too long to play by human rules. It's a fox spirit that chose to become human. And supposedly, that's something they can only do after about 100 years." Derek looked up at the man, shrugging his shoulders. "If a Kitsune is an annoying pain in the ass, then a Nogitsune, which is a dark Kitsune, is a freaking disaster." Derek looked down at Sophia, who looked back up at him. "Besides, chess is Stiles' game. It's not the game of a Japanese fox." Peter said, pulling on his coat. He walked around the table, stopping beside Sophia to gently put a hand on her shoulder, siphoning the residual ache. "Make sure Derek gets that shoulder taken care of before it gets infected." He said to her as he made his way towards the loft doors. They watched him go before Sophia made her way towards the bathroom to get out the first aid kit. When Sophia left, she missed the fly landing on Derek's wound before it burrowed under the skin.

**XXX**

"Hey, Der! Come here for a minute?" Sophia asked as she sat on the bed, pulling out everything she would need to wrap his shoulder.

"Sure." He said, walking over to her.

"Sit down." She said, patting the bed beside her. He sat down, his back to her. She cut a piece of gauze big enough for his wound but as she was about to place it in the right spot, she noticed that it was almost healed. Just a faint line was left. She ran her fingers over it as her brow furrowed. "Did you know your shoulder is almost done healing?" She asked him. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded lightly.

"Yeah." She glanced up at his face, he sounded different. His entire face looked different. He seemed paler, with dark circles under his eyes and their usual bright color was dulled. He didn't look like that a few minutes ago when she ran to the bathroom upstairs and back.

"You okay?" She asked and the man smiled. That didn't look right to her either.

"I'm perfect." He said before turning to face her. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a kiss and at that moment, she knew something was wrong. He was being more forceful than usual. He usually started a kiss very softly and tenderly before moving on. He began to push his weight into her, forcing her to lie down. She pulled away from the kiss, putting her hands on his chest, trying to get the man off of her.

"Der, get off." She said trying to keep her voice normal and level while continuing to try and push him off. The man only grabbed both of her wrists in one of his larger hands before putting them over her head, holding them there firmly.

"What's wrong Sophia? I thought you wanted this? All those times I could smell the lust and arousal coming off of you whenever you were around me? I still smell it, all the time. I thought you would have wanted this to happen." The man said, leaning down and pressing kisses down her neck, nipping at her collarbone. She wiggled under him, trying to kick him but he easily put his legs over hers, holding her down. "What's wrong Sophie? Had a change of heart?" He asked with a wicked smile on his face. This wasn't Derek.

"Get off of me right now Derek." She said, still struggling to get out from under the Beta. Even with her Alpha status, she was physically weaker than Derek when she didn't use her Alpha powers.

"You know, I don't think I will." Derek said, coming back up to her face, pressing a kiss to her lips. She groaned when their teeth clinked together. She began to squirm anew when Derek's free hand rested on her hip, right at the waistband of her jeans. The man pulled away and Sophia closed her eyes, reopening them to show him the red as that hand moved to the button of her jeans.

"Derek Hale, get off me now!" She said, making sure that the Alpha command was clear. Even if this wasn't Derek, just someone or something in his body, his body should obey the command. His face hardened as his body lifted off of her, she'd been right. She quickly tried to get off the bed but she didn't make it in time before a large hand landed on the side of her head, knocking it directly into the wall before darkness overtook her.

**XXX**

Sophia blinked awake, looking around as her head throbbed, she could feel it slowly healing. "Really glad I can heal right now, a concussion is never fun." The loft was quiet and Derek's scent wasn't faint but it wasn't as strong as it would have been if he was in there. "I don't care if that was the real you or not Derek, I'm going to kick your ass when I find you." She said as she stood from the bed, moving around the loft to see if there was any way she could find out where he would be. Nothing was blatantly obvious except for one thing that was obviously out of place. A wooden cylinder was sitting on the table, it was open and Sophia noticed the Triskelion carved into the top. She tilted it over, seeing that it was empty. If she remembered correctly, this was where Derek kept his mother's claws. She set the cylinder back on the table before making her way towards her bag. She sat down on the bed to slip her boots back on. She tied them quickly before making her way to the door.

She closed and locked the door behind her. As she made her way down to the Camaro, she couldn't help but think about what happened. That wasn't Derek at all. It was like darker Derek. It almost reminded her of the Nogitsune. The redhead stopped as she reached for the door handle of the Camaro. That was it. The Nogitsune had something to do with it. She got inside and started the car, beginning to make her way to the only place she could think of that would involve Talia's claws. The Argents.

**XXX**

It took her five minutes to get there; she turned the car off and locked the doors quickly before she ran up the steps (since it seemed faster than the elevator in her mind). She ran down the hall when she was sure she was on the right floor, stopping in front of Chris and Allison's apartment. The door didn't show signs of forced entry but she could smell Derek and Chris inside. There was also an overpowering smell of gasoline. She tried the doorknob, finding it unlocked. She stepped inside, making sure to stay as quiet as possible as she walked through the apartment to Chris' office, where the smells were the most concentrated. She stepped into the doorway, putting her finger to her lips when Chris looked up at her. He nodded slightly, pulling at the ropes again. He saw Derek behind the hunter's desk, he was moving erratically while panting and holding his head like he was in pain.

"Derek…" She said, gaining the man's attention. He looked at her and laughed with that same wicked smile on his face she saw earlier.

"Sophie! You made it just in time." He began walking towards her, she flashed her eyes red and he stopped where he stood.

"Derek, this isn't you." She said, slowly walking deeper into the room. "I don't know what's wrong but we'll figure it out. Chris is our ally now, he can help." She said noticing the anger that came to his face when she mentioned the hunter as an ally.

"Our ally? Sophia, do you remember how his family burned mine alive? Or how many werewolves he's killed?! How can he be our ally?" He snarled at her, his fangs dropping and his eyes glowing blue. Sophia growled, her own fangs dropping and her eyes shifting to red.

"He had nothing to do with your family. Remember Derek, it was Kate." She said to him, her voice distorted by her fangs. He growled at her again. "I don't want to fight you Derek."

"Too bad." He said before snarling at her, charging her and aiming directly for her throat with his claws. She stepped the side, avoiding the attacked before she grabbed his extended arm and kicking the back of his knees. He dropped into a kneeled position before he reached over with his free hand and sunk his claws into her stationary leg. A growl of pain left her lips as he stood quickly, bringing Sophia's leg with him and causing her to fall onto her back. Immediately, he let go of her leg and knelt over her torso, snarling in her face. She roared back, he could feel the power of the roar as he looked hesitant for a second. A moment later, there was a crashing sound, bringing back Derek's dark nature. Glancing to the side, she saw that Chris managed to get free reach for the gun taped to the bottom of his desk. The Beta turned his attention from the girl to the hunter. He stood and stepped over to the man, grabbing him by the front of the shirt while Chris grabbed him by the back of the neck and pressed the barrel of the gun under his chin. Derek roared in his face.

"I don't want to kill you, Derek. Don't make me kill you. Please." Chris said to the other man. Sophia sat up before settling on her knees. They kept that pose for a few seconds longer before black blood began dripping from Derek's nose. Chris let go of his neck and Derek fell backwards. Sophia jumped forward and managed to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Derek…" She asked softly, pressing her fingers to the side of his neck, looking for a pulse. She found it instantly and it was strong.

"Is he…?" Chris asked. She looked up at him.

"He should be fine. I don't know about the black blood but everything is normal." She said, finally letting her muscles uncoil.

"What the hell was all that about?" Chris asked, kneeling down by the redhead.

"I have an idea." She said, glancing up at him. "Remember when we were in Stiles' room and the chess board was set up." The man nodded. "I was the queen and I was only one square ahead of Derek, who was the king. I did some research on the game and found an interesting move that is hardly ever used but… it can be used in the game."

"What is it?" Chris asked. Sophia ran her fingers through Derek's hair and whipped the blood from underneath his nose.

"It's just called a sacrificial move. It's when you capture one of your own pieces." She explained. "It's not a completely illegal move in the game and there are sometimes that it can be used."

"So… you're thinking that the Nogitsune somehow took control of Derek and was using him to make this sacrificial move?" Chris asked. "Why?"

"Think about it." She answered. "The strongest wolves are Scott and I. We're both Alphas and if we're picking apart hairs here, I'm a born-wolf. Peter said something to us before he left the loft. Chess is Stiles' game, not the Nogitsune's. It would make sense that he would use a move like that." The man nodded.

"That's a good point." It was at that moment that Sophia felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She reached back and pulled it from her pocket. She was pretty impressed that it hadn't broken in the entire ordeal that she'd gone through that day. She had 15 missed calls from Scott, 8 for Lydia, and even 2 from Aiden and Ethan. She was about to dial Scott's number when her phone vibrated in her hand. His name was on the screen. She hit the accept button and brought it to her ear.

"Hello?" She said.

'_Finally! I've been calling you and Derek forever!' _Scott said through the phone as the redhead looked down at Derek.

"Yeah, we were having an issue. What did you need?" She asked.

'_Lydia and Aiden found Stiles.' _He said and Sophia blinked in surprise.

"Where is he now?" She asked.

'_At my house.' _He said and Sophia nodded.

"Give me 15 minutes." She said, shifting Derek to lie on the ground before standing up and looked at Chris, who had stood up as well.

'_Alright, see you when you get here.' _He said before they hung up.

"I need to take care of something." She said to the older man, looking down at Derek.

"Go, I'll stay here and keep an eye on him. I'll call you if anything changes" Chris said, waving her off. She nodded with a small smile.

"Thanks." She said before jogging out the door, closing it behind her and making her way back over to the stairs. She ran down and got into the Camaro, making it to Scott's in less than ten minutes. She stepped into Scott's house, noticing Stiles getting treated by Melissa. She could hear Scott, Lydia, and Deaton in the kitchen so that was where she was headed.

"We're looking for a cure in something that might actually be nothing more than a proverb or a metaphor." Deaton said, nodding to her when she came in.

"Hey." She said briefly, standing between Scott and Lydia.

"And what if he doesn't want it? He's never asked to be a werewolf." Scott said, looking at Lydia.

"What if it saves his life?" She asked him.

"What if it kills him?" Sophia asked, immediately jumping into the conversation after figuring out what was going on.

"I've never done this before." Scott said, leaning on the kitchen island.

"Neither have I." The redhead said, looking at Deaton and then Lydia.

"I mean, what if one of us bites him and accidently hit an artery or something?" Scott asked.

"That venom is not going to last long?" Deaton said. Sophia's brow furrowed but decided that it wasn't important. "Something needs to be done sooner than later."

"I can try calling Derek again." Scott said, reaching for his phone. Sophia grabbed it out of his hand and putting it on the countertop.

"Yeah, not a good idea. He needs to rest. I'll explain everything later." She said, cutting Scott off before he could ask the question.

"Maybe we should call someone else." Lydia said, looking at Scott before settling her gaze to Sophia. Scott didn't want to, that much was obvious by the look on his face. Sophia pulled out her phone, dialing his number before holding it to her ear.

**XXX**

"He doesn't look like he would survive a slap across the face, much less the bite of a werewolf." Peter said as he completed his circle around Stiles, bending down slightly to look into his eyes.

"You don't think it would work?" Scott asked.

"This is more a war of the mind than the body." Peter said, straightening up. "There are better methods to winning this battle.

"What kinds of methods?" Deaton asked as he stepped up to the former Alpha. Peter reached down and grabbed Scott's wrist, holding his hand palm up as he popped his claws free. Stiles looked intrigued by the suggestion, even with the tape on his mouth.

"We're going to get into his head." He said.

**XXX**

"So, do we have a plan?" Deaton asked when Lydia and Peter came back into the room.

"Scott is going to try and dig through pale and sickly Evil Stiles' mind to unearth pale and sickly Real Stiles." Peter explained and Sophia raised an eyebrow at him. "Then guide him back from the depths of his own subconscious. But he's not going to do it alone."

"What do you mean?" Scott asked before Peter looked over at Lydia.

"Somebody needs to go in with you."

"Hell no." Sophia said, crossing her arms. "She won't be able to handle it."

"Yes, I can." Lydia said, trying to be strong.

"I don't care if you think you can. One wrong more and you're paralyzed. I'm not letting you do this." Sophia said to the strawberry blonde. "I'll do it." She said, looking at Peter. The man glanced at Lydia before nodding. That was how Sophia came to be sitting beside the Nogitsune with Scott's a hair away from piercing the back of her neck.

"So, what do we do when we find him?" Scott asked the older werewolf. Peter was silent for a moment as he positioned Scott's hands at Stiles' neck.

"You're going to have to guide him out somehow. Try to get him back in control of his mind, his body." Peter said from directly Sophia. She felt him move Scott's claws to the correct place.

"Care to elaborate on somehow?" She asked the man without turning around. "I feel like you could be a little more specific."

"Improvise." Peter said, stepping away from them.

"I swear Peter; I'm going to kick your ass if this doesn't work." She said, wanting so badly to glare at him but she didn't want to move Scott's hand at all.

"What if this is just another trick?" Scott asked suddenly.

"When are you people going to start trusting me?" Peter asked, laughing softly. Sophia pointed at him.

"That little laugh there… that doesn't help your case." She lowered her hand back into her lap.

"I meant him." Scott said, looking down at the Nogitsune.

"Well, I meant Peter." Sophia said, resisting the urge to shrug.

"Oh." Peter said.

"Scott, we're running out of time." Deaton said. Scott nodded his head softly before taking a few deep breaths. He drove his claws into the back of their necks.

**XXX**

_Opening their eyes again, they were strapped down to beds. Glancing around, Sophia saw that it almost looked like a room in Eichen House. She looked over at Scott, who was looking at her, before the pair began to struggle against the bindings keeping them on the bed. They struggled for a few moments before Sophia settled, looking over at Scott who was still struggling. She glanced down at her hands when she popped her claws free. She looked up at her friend who stopped struggling and sighed in frustration._

"_Scott…" She said, getting his attention. "Do I actually have to remind you that we're werewolves?" She said, raising an eyebrow at him._

"_But we're in Stiles' head." He said and she rolled her eyes, using her claws to cut through the leather binds holding her hand down._

"_And we're supernatural creatures with supernatural strength. Get your shit together, McCall." She said, smirking playfully at the boy as she reached over to cut the binding on her other wrist. With a deep breath, she used all her strength to push up against the bindings on her chest. She smiled when it broke, allowing her to reach down and undo the restraints on her ankles. She looked over and smiled when Scott broke through his own restraints. She got off the bed, looking around._

"_What now?" Scott asked._

"_I don't know." She said, looking around the room. "I would say let's go through the door but… you know." She said with a shrug. Scott looked up at the door before looking back down at her._

"_Let's go." He said, walking over to the door and slowly pushing it open. Sophia followed a few steps behind him. She was almost out the door when it slammed shut, causing her to stumble back into the room. She grabbed the doorknob but it was locked._

"_Scott!" She called for him. She thought she heard something behind her. She turned slowly, the scenery around her had changed. She was now in her bedroom with Max standing there at the end of her bed. He had his usually charming smile on his face. He took a step towards her and Sophia stayed put, not really sure to go._

"_Hey Soph." He said, standing directly in front of her now. She watched him carefully, trying to calm the shaking of her hands. She wasn't sure what it was about the dead Alpha that scared her so much. It probably didn't help that she felt guilty about killing him, even if he was going to kill her first. He reached out for her hand and she pulled back. "Don't be like that." He said, reaching for her hand again. This time, she let he grab it. He took a step closer, grabbing her other hand and holding them tightly._

"_What are you doing here?" She asked. He smiled at her before it suddenly turned into a smirk, his eyes flashing red as he grabbed her around the neck, his claws digging in. He didn't say anything, he just growled, showing his fangs. Sophia gasped for breath, the tears welling in the corner of her eyes as she struggled._

**XXX**

"Look at that. Do you see that? She's bleeding." Melissa said, drawing Peter's attention to the fact that Sophia had blood dripping from both nostrils. Peter and Melissa moved forward but Deaton stopped the woman.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." The emissary said.

"What's happening?" Melissa asked the man.

"What's happening to her?" Lydia asked, watching as Peter knelt down in front of the redhead. He gently cupped her face in his large hands.

"Sophia? Sophia, can you hear me?" Peter said, shaking her ever-so slightly. "Come on, little one, you're stronger than this. You need to concentrate. Sophie…" Peter said but nothing seemed to change the condition of the girl. He took in a deep breath. "Sophia!" He shouted, hoping it would ground her.

**XXX**

_Sophia blinked her eyes open; she thought she could hear Peter calling her. She closed her eyes again. She was here for one reason and one reason only, to get Stiles back. She opened her eyes again; they shined a bright red, and let her claws out. Quickly, she reached down and slashed him across the arms. He roared in pain as he dropped her. She turned and quickly ran for the door to the room. When she opened it, she stumbled into a large white room. She looked around; the door she'd just come out of had disappeared. There was nothing around, just white walls and columns. She turned and looked to her right when Scott ran up to her. She threw her arms around his neck in a hug which he gladly returned. When they pulled away, looked around again and this time, directly in front of them, on the Nemeton stump was Stiles and the Nogitsune. They were playing Go, a Japanese game, something a Japanese spirit would play. Damn Peter for actually making sense. Scott and Sophia began to walk closer before they broke into a run but it was pointless, they weren't getting any closer._

_They stopped trying to catch their breath. "Stiles!" Scott yelled for their friend._

"_Stiles!" Sophia yelled but the boy didn't turn or even acknowledge them. "Stiles! Over here!" She yelled, waving her arms but nothing worked. They tried running again but it was pointless. They both stopped again, putting their hands on their knees to catch their breath._

"_Hey…" Sophia said, gaining Scott's attention. "Stiles is a part of the pack."_

"_What does that have to do with anything?" Scott asked, looking over at the girl._

"_He maybe human but he's a part of the pack."_

"_So?" Scott and Sophia stood up straight._

"_So, Scotty, how do wolves signal their location to the rest of the pack?" She asked, looking at him with a smile. Scott looked at her and she gave him a small nod before both wolves took on their Beta forms._

"_They howl." Scott said. Scott howled, facing directly at Stiles. Sophia, on the other hand, threw her head back, howling as well. This time, Stiles looked over and saw the two of them. He looked back at the Nogitsune before knocking all of the pieces from the Go board. The fox spirit roared at Stiles._

**XXX**

Sophia gasped as she came back to her body, covering the mark Scott had made on her neck with her hand. "Did it work? Did it work?" Scott asked as he came around to check. Sophia got up and moved to stand beside Peter, looking back at the Nogitsune.

"Why didn't it work?" Lydia asked before Peter grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.

"Because it's not science, Lydia. It's supernatural. I did my part. Now give me the name." The older Beta said to her. Sophia turned to them.

"What name?" She asked. Peter glanced at her over his shoulder before pulling Lydia into another room.

"Peter, what the hell are you talking about? What name?" She called after the wolf. She glanced at Scott, who was watching the exchange as well. The Banshee leaned forward and whispered something in his ear before the Nogitsune flailed on the couch. He tore the tape off his mouth before grabbing what looked like a bandage and began pulling it out. He fell to the floor and retched, more and more bandages came up. He gasped when the last of the bandages were out. A few seconds later, the mass of bandages began moving before a hand came out of them. A head appeared from the bandages before another arm, slowly someone or something was crawling out of the mass. Peter gently pushed Lydia and Sophia behind him as he took a small step forward. The person looked at its hands before touching the bandages on its head, as if trying to get them off. It turned to them, making a move towards them before Peter and Scott forced it onto the couch.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Scott said, both Peter and the person stopped. Scott slowly began to peel back the bandages on its head. When they were gone, it revealed the real Stiles.

"Scott?" He asked confused.

"Scott." Deaton said, drawing everyone's attention. The front door was wide open and the Nogitsune and Lydia were gone.

"Where are they?" Scott asked and Deaton shrugged his shoulders. "Where are they?!" Scott asked before running out the door, calling Lydia's name. Sophia came to stand next to Stiles, cupping his face gently before running her fingers through his hair. He looked confused as he leaned into her.


	46. Insatiable

**A/N: Again, sorry for the long wait everyone! I think it would just be easier to say that this story (and my other active ones) have not been forgotten and I will update them whenever I get the chance! Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review to let me know if you guys are liking the story! It would mean a lot to me!**

**P.S. This was supposed to be uploaded like a week ago but I had a really bad storm and lightning killed my modem so… I finally got it posted though! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

"How's Derek?" Sophia asked into her phone.

'_He's awake now. Do you want to talk to him?' _Chris asked and the woman shook her head even though he couldn't see her.

"No, just checking. We think we expelled the Nogitsune from Stiles' body. We're going to test him but I'll be sure to text you when we find out." Sophia said to the older man, glancing around the room. Scott walked over to her, waiting patiently. "Listen, I think what was going on with Derek was because of the Nogitsune. None of us are sure how but… we think that was the reason. Not only Derek was affected but Isaac, Aiden, and Ethan were too."

'_Is everyone okay?' _He asked.

"Everyone seems fine. Deaton went to the school to check on the other three. I'll send him your way to check Derek out as well." Chris made a noise before Scott looked to the door. "I have to go. I'll text you when I know something more."

'_Alright, just let us know.' _Chris said.

"I will." The girl said before hanging up her phone, putting it into her pocket before following Scott to the bedroom where Melissa was checking Stiles' vitals. Stiles sat up when he saw his two best friends.

"Is she here?" He asked and Scott nodded.

"Yeah." Sophia said softly, putting her hands into her jean pockets.

"Okay, let's do this." Stiles said. Melissa, Scott, and Sophia looked between each other. "Guys, we have to do this." Stiles said, a little more forcefully. Melissa moved and Stiles tried to sit up. He was weak from everything that had happened to him. Sophia and Scott stepped over to him, each friend grabbing an arm and helping him walk into the living room where Noshiko, Kira's mother, was standing.

"Do you recognize me?" She asked when they stepped into the room. Stiles gently brushed his friends off before taking a step closer to the woman.

"Stop." Kira said, running into the room.

"It's okay." Stiles said, slowly making his way closer to the woman. "I'm the one who asked her to come."

"You're the one who's going to get stabbed with swords." Kira said back to him. "Mom, don't do this to him." The girl said, turning to her mother.

"It's already done." Noshiko said as two Oni appeared. Melissa gasped and grabbed Sophia's wrist, holding it tightly. One stepped up behind Stiles while the other stood in front of him, making him stare into its yellow eyes. The whole room was tense before Stiles dropped to the ground. The Oni disappeared. "Check behind his ear." Kira, Sophia, Scott, and Melissa all came over to him, kneeling down beside him. Kira checked behind his ear, the kanji they had all received was sitting there.

"It worked." Scott said and Sophia squeezed Stiles' hand tighter.

"Am I actually me?" Stiles asked as he began trying to sit up.

"More you than the Nogitsune." Noshiko said.

"Can the Oni find him?" Stiles asked her once he was sitting up straight.

"Tomorrow night. It's too close to dawn now."

"Can they kill him?"

"It depends on how strong he is."

"What about Lydia? Why would he take her?" Scott asked, looking around the room for answers.

"He would only take her for an advantage." Noshiko said and Sophia watched as Scott's brow furrowed in confusion.

"You mean her power?" Sophia asked the older woman.

"The power of a Banshee." Noshiko agreed.

**XXX**

Sophia and Scott lead Stiles through the Sheriff's Department. After everything that had happened, now that they knew that this was the real Stiles, John needed to see his son. Walking into the station, Sophia offered Parrish a small smile when he saw them. She pointed towards the Sheriff's office and he nodded, knowing that they were taking Stiles to see his father. She nodded slightly as they continued into the station. When they reached the Sheriff's office, he was pulling on his coat while looking for his keys.

"Ah, if I could just find my keys." He said to himself.

"In your coffee cup." Stiles said. John turned to them. "You always drop them in your empty cup." Stiles said, making a small motion to the cup on the desk. John's brow furrowed as he turned his attention to Scott and Sophia. Both Alphas nodded before the man dropped his jacket and rushed around his desk to meet his son in the middle. The pair hugged each other close. Sophia leaned against the doorway as Scott walked deeper into the office, towards John's desk.

"Is it over?" John asked, looking between Scott and Sophia. The True Alpha reached into the cup and pulled out the keys, clenching them in his fist.

"Not yet."

**XXX**

"We got an APB out on Lydia's car. Every unit on the road is looking for her." John said when he came back into the office.

"Isn't there anything else that we could do?" Scott asked. Sophia continued to lean into Stiles, letting her friend absorb her body heat. She knew that after the Oni mark you, you stay cold for a while.

"At this hour? No, not really." John said sadly.

"He took her for a reason, Dad." Stiles spoke up. "Look, if we figure out the why, then we'll figure out the where."

"Okay." John said, crossing his arms and turning to check and see if anyone else was around. "What would a Nogitsune need with a Banshee?" Sophia blinked.

"Never thought I'd hear a sentence like that." She muttered, pulling out her phone to check the time and see if she had a new message from Derek. Nothing yet. She put the phone back into her pocket and reached up to rub Stiles' back.

"I don't know, Lydia's pretty good at finding dead bodies. Maybe he needs to find a body?" Stiles said unsure.

"Scott, you know more about this than all of us." John said, turning to the other boy.

"Me?" He asked.

"You said you got the whole story from Noshiko?"

"Yeah but that happened during World War II. Like 70 years ago."

"Wait. What did you say?" Stiles asked after there was a pause in the conversation. Sophia felt the same way, what were they talking about?

"Noshiko told me about the internment camp…" Scott began to explain.

"No, before that. You said, the whole story." Stiles said, looking at his dad.

"Yeah. What is it?" Scott turned to Stiles. The boy looked to be thinking before he spoke again.

"There's a girl at Eichen House. Her name's Meredith. I think she might be able to help." John nodded before turning stepping out of his office again, talking to Parrish about them talking to Meredith.

**XXX**

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Sophia asked, stepping out of John's office to answer the call from Derek. They were waiting for Parrish to tell them if Meredith was still at Eichen House and if they would be able to speak with her.

'_Better. Listen, everything that happened under the Nogitsune control. It wasn't me. I would never do that to you.'_ He said quickly and Sophia raised an eyebrow. She had to think about to the last few hours what had happened. Everything was beginning to run together. She breathed out a small 'oh' when she remembered what Derek was talking about. He was referring to when the Nogitsune was controlling him and made the man force himself onto her.

"Derek, it's okay." She said softly, happy that it was just Parrish and the Sheriff in the department.

'_No it's not. It's almost the same thing Kate did to me and I made a promise that I would never do it to anyone else.' _He said, he sounded devastated.

"Big Bad…" Sophia said and she could softly hear, even through the phone, the uptick of his heart at the nickname. "Nothing happened. Okay? I don't blame you. I blame the Nogitsune but right now, we don't have time to roll in self-loathing. You can make it up to me later with a fancy, romantic date but right now, I need my Big Bad Der-Bear." She heard him huff, she could imagine the eye roll she was receiving and she smiled. "Everything is fine but I'm going to need your help to keep track of the pack."

'_I know… I just felt like I needed to apologize.' _The man said.

"And you did and you're taking me out on a date after all of this is taken care of so don't worry about it. Alright?" He chuckled softly.

'_Alright.' _She smiled softly.

"I'll see you soon Big Bad."

'_You too Lil' Red.' _She smiled as she pulled the phone away from her ear and hitting the end call button. She had just managed to step back into the Sheriff's office when Parrish came over.

"Sheriff, Meredith Walker." Parrish said as he came to stand in the doorway.

"She still there?" John asked the deputy.

"Yeah but they moved her to a Closed Unit."

"Why?"

"They said behavioral issues."

"What issues?" Stiles asked.

"She wouldn't stop screaming." Parrish said and Sophia glanced at the boys. Was she a Banshee?

**XXX**

After everything, Scott and Sophia had taken Stiles back to Scott's house. The redhead was sleeping on the couch, Stiles' head on her stomach while he slept. Sophia was resting her back against the armrest, with Stiles lying between the redhead and the back of the couch. She slowly faded back into consciousness as she listened to the rest of the pack move around the house. She was slowly running her fingers through his hair as he slept. The contact helped him sleep somewhat peacefully so Sophia didn't mind laying with him while the rest of the pack were doing what needed to be done to find Lydia and the Nogitsune. Scott even encouraged it after everything that Stiles had been through. The redhead jumped off the couch in surprise when Stiles gasped and flailed a little as he tried to stand. She grabbed his arm, steadying him as Scott ran into the room and to Stiles' other side.

"You okay?" Sophia asked once she and Scott had managed to steady him.

"What happened? How long was I out?" Stiles asked them.

"Just a couple of hours." Sophia said, rubbing her arm up and down his back.

"You should sit down." Scott said as the two of them gently tried to lower Stiles back onto the couch. He shook his head, pushing back against them.

"Where's my dad?" Stiles asked.

"He's at Eichen House, questioning everyone. Looking for Meredith. We promised him we wouldn't let you out of our sights." Scott said. Stiles gasped slightly as he tried to stop panting.

"Okay, what about the others?"

"Allison, Isaac, the twins, they're all looking for Lydia." Scott said.

"And Derek?" Stiles asked, looking at Sophia.

"He's trying to figure out why the Nogitsune hasn't made a move or what he would want with a Banshee." The girl explained.

"It's starting to feel like we're waiting for a ransom call."

"We'll find her." Scott said soothingly. The way an Alpha should when talking to a distressed member of the pack. Stiles nodded before putting his coat on.

"You alright?" Scott asked again.

"Yeah. I don't know why, I just can't get warm." He said as he shrugged the coat into place. Even with the effects of the Oni, Stiles should have been warm by now.

"Maybe you should sit down and take it easy." Sophia said, gently touching Stiles' hand before pulling back with a soft gasp. As soon as she had touched him, without wanting to, she felt his pain flooding her system. "Stiles…" She said, looking up at his face.

"It's not that bad. It's just more like a dull ache." He said, looking down at the redhead.

"Where?" She asked gently, laying a hand on his arm, avoiding his bare skin at the moment.

"Sort of everywhere." He said with a small shrug. Scott looked at Sophia before putting his hand over Stiles. The other boy pulled away from the True Alpha.

"Dude, you're freezing." Scott said. Stiles sat down on the couch, rubbing his hands together and over his face. Sophia sat next to him as Scott knelt in front of them.

"Stiles…" The redhead said, getting his attention. She grabbed his hand, holding back the pain siphoning and just feeling the cold, clamminess of his hands. "Tell me the truth…" He looked at her before looking back at the ground between him and Scott. "How much does it really hurt?" She asked softly. He looked at her and she could see the glossiness in his eyes. Before he could answer, Scott's phone began vibrating. He pulled it out of his pocket, looking at the name.

"It's Kira." He said to them before answering it. "Hey, what's up?"

'_She's here. In Coach's class.' She said over the phone. "And you need to get here now too. Like, right now.'_ Sophia glanced up at him as he hung up.

"Meredith is at the school?" She asked and Scott nodded. They all got up when Sophia's own phone went off. She pulled it out of her pocket, seeing Derek's name.

"Derek." She said before hitting the accept button, much like Scott had done seconds earlier. "Find anything?"

'_The twins in pretty bad shape. Wolfsbane bullets. I'm taking them to somewhere to hide. Aiden's really bad.' _The man said. Sophia looked up at Scott, the other Alpha's eyes widening.

"You want me to meet you there?" She asked.

'_Could you?' _He asked, grunting. Sophia assumed that he was probably shifting one of the beta's weight.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll meet you there." She said, hanging up the phone a moment later. "Derek has the twins and they're in pretty bad shape. I'm going to meet him. You guys got Meredith?" She asked and both boys nodded.

"Yeah, we got it." Scott said. Sophia nodded her head. She grabbed Stiles' hand, siphoning the pain until Stiles realized what she was doing and pulled his hand away. She leaned into Stiles before putting her hand on Scott's arm as she walked past them out to the Camaro.

**XXX**

Sophia could smell the wolfsbane in the air. She could smell that there was someone out here hunting for her pack mates but she could also smell pine and leather. She followed the scent, making sure that she kept an ear out for someone moving around in case it was the one who was shooting. She glanced around after finding a big coyote den. She could smell Derek and the twins inside. She stepped inside, jumping in surprise when Derek stepped around the corner all blue eyes and fangs. It faded quickly when he realized it was her. "Hey, sorry." He said, pulling her into a hug. She hugged him back, nuzzling into his neck, taking in his scent briefly.

"It's okay. Where are the twins?" She asked softly. Derek lead her deeper into the den. Both boys were laying on the ground, she could see could smell the infection of the wolfsbane.

"Where are we?" Ethan asked.

"It's a coyote den. Stay quiet." Derek said as he glanced back outside. Sophia knelt down beside Aiden, laying a hand on his arm and taking some of his pain. She gritted her teeth as her eyes shifted between emerald and red. "Don't take too much." Derek said, knowing firsthand what would happen if you took too much pain. She nodded softly, stepping over to Ethan, doing the same thing.

"Did you see the shooter?" Ethan asked. "You know who it is?" It was getting easier for him to breathe the more pain she took.

"No I was a little busy." Derek said, reaching out and pushing Sophia over and away from Ethan. She landed on her butt, glaring at the beta. She knew why he had done it though; she was reaching the maximum amount of pain she could take. "Who else did you two piss off?" Derek asked the twins.

"We pissed off everyone." Aiden said from where he was laying down. "It was only a matter of time before someone caught up to us."

"That narrows it down." Sophia said, standing up and walking over to lean against the wall in front of Derek.

"Well, the bullets had wolfsbane in them. So, if I don't get you out of here soon, the poison is going to spread. Stay quiet. I'll be back." He looked from the twins to Sophia. "Stay with them." She raised an eyebrow.

"I think that's my line, I'm the Alpha now." She smirked as Derek sighed and rolled his eyes, putting his hands on her cheeks.

"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" He asked before she smirked and shook her head. "You're better suited to protect them if someone comes. I'll be back as soon as possible." He leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers. She groans slightly. It had been way too long since she'd kissed the man. "Just stay here." He said, his hazel eyes looking into hers. She nodded softly.

"Fine. Hurry up and be careful." She said, watching as the man nodded, placing another kiss to her lips before he went outside the den. Sophia looked in a deep breath before looking back at the twins. They gasped as the poison slowly circulated. She knew she couldn't take any more of their pain without giving up her Alpha powers and right now, with the Nogitsune, they needed every advantage they could get, that included two Alphas.

**XXX**

'_We know where Lydia is!' _Scott said as soon as she answered the phone.

"Seriously?! Where?" She asked, looking at the twins.

'_Oak Creek Interment Camp.' _He said and she nodded, that made sense. It was where the Nogitsune came from essentially.

"Are you guys headed there?" She asked.

'_Yeah, are you going to meet us there?' _He asked.

"I can't. I'm watching over the twins. Derek hasn't gotten back yet." She said and a moment later, Derek reentered the den with Chris behind him. "Never mind, he's back. I'll let you know when I'm on my way." She said before hanging up and putting the phone back into her pocket.

"What's going on?" Derek asked.

"They know where Lydia is." Both Derek and Chris looked at her in surprise. "Oak Creek Interment Camp." She glanced back at the twins. "Let's worry about the boys first." She said, moving deeper into the den to check on them. Derek and Chris followed them.

"Chris has his car waiting. We're taking them to the loft." Derek said, picking up one of them while Chris grabbed the other. Sophia squeezed ahead of them, peeking out of the den. It was silent all around them. She stepped out before motioning for them to come out as well. She followed behind them, bringing up the rear and keeping a watchful eye over her pack members.

**XXX**

The twins were set on the couch before Derek lead Sophia and Chris a few steps away. "I found these on the ground." Derek said, pulling out a red shotgun shell.

"This wasn't Araya, was it?" Chris asked. Sophia's brow furrowed.

"Who?" She asked, feeling left out.

"Leader of a band of Mexican hunters. The Calaveras." Derek said, filling in his girlfriend. She nodded softly. The beta turned his attention back to Chris. "I don't think these are hers. They don't look like her shells." Chris took it from the werewolves hand's, flipping it over to look at the symbol on the bottom. He looked shocked.

"That's not possible." He said almost to himself, twisting the shell in his hand. Both werewolves glanced down at his pocket when his phone started to ring. He pulled it out, accepting the call. "Allison?"

"_They found her. Scott found her, Dad. They found Lydia. I'm on my way." _Allison said, panting over the phone.

"I know, Sophia told me. Allison, hold on. You have to wait." The man said to his daughter.

'_I can't, Dad.'_

"Allison, wait for me…"

'_There's no time. It's already night. There's no time, Dad.'_

"Wait, Allison, wait!" Sophia glanced down when Derek's hand wrapped around hers, lacing their fingers together.

"I need to go." Sophia said to Derek. The beta looked down at her at the same time Chris turned to her. "I have to help them."

"Sophie…" Derek began before she pulled away from him.

"I have to go. If we're going to defeat him, they're going to need all the manpower they can get." She looked up at the man. "They need me. I'm not going to let them down." Derek chewed his lip, looking over at the twins before looking at Chris. He looked back at her.

"I don't want to lose you." He said softly.

"I don't want to lose you either. That's why I need to go. I need to kill this son of a bitch once and for all." She said, clenching her fists. Derek took a step closer, grabbing her hands and gently uncurling them, holding her hand and lacing their fingers together.

"Be careful… please, please be careful." Derek said softly, resting his nose against her temple as he spoke. Sophia leaned into her boyfriend, her mate, breathing in his scent.

"I will. I promise." She said softly, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips. A few seconds later, she pulled away, gently unwrapping herself from Derek as she made her way back to the entrance of the loft.

"Sophia!" She stopped, turning when she heard Chris call her name. "Please protect Allison." She nodded her head, pulling the keys for the Camaro out of her pocket.

**XXX**

The Camaro's brakes locked up as she stopped behind Stiles' Jeep. She stepped out, walking towards them. "How are the twins?" Stiles asked. She shrugged, tilting her head.

"As good as you can imagine. They're at Derek's loft right now." She said as the pair met up with everyone else at the entrance. Allison, Stiles, Kira, Scott, Isaac, and Sophia all stood in front of the open gate.

"We've done this before, guys. A couple of weeks ago we were standing around just like this and we saved Malia, remember?" Scott said to everyone. "That was a total stranger. This is Lydia."

"I'm here to save my best friend." Allison said.

"I came to save mine." Scott said, looking at Stiles.

"So am I." She said, leaning ever-so-slightly into Stiles, feeling him lean back.

"I just didn't feel like doing any homework." Isaac said and Sophia nodded.

"There's the Isaac that we missed." The dirty blonde smirked at her and she smiled back. They all turned and walked into the camp. Sophia nodded to Isaac as they went their separate ways. Kira, Allison, and Isaac went one direction, hoping to cut of Noshiko, who Sophia knew was there while she, Scott, and Stiles went another way, trying to find Lydia.

"She's here. This way." Scott said, leading the way through the halls.

**XXX**

They came to the end of a hallway and behind a large steel door was Lydia. "Lydia, are you alright?" Stiles asked her as Scott and Sophia worked to open the door.

"No. No, no, no. Why are you here?" She asked. Scott pushed the door open, before handing if off to Sophia to open the rest of the way.

"Lydia, we're here for you." Stiles said to her.

"You weren't supposed to be here. You didn't get my message?"

"Lydia, what's happening?" Scott asked the Banshee.

"Who else is here?" She asked, tears were in her eyes. "Who came with you?! Who else is here?!" She yelled.

"Isaac, Allison, Kira and then the three of us." Sophia said, her brow furrowing.

"We have to go… we have to go now!" Lydia said and Scott nodded, leading them down a different hall. Scott and Sophia were leading them when the redhead heard Lydia and Stiles stop. She turned, sliding to a stop in the wet concrete.

"Go!" Stiles said to her, making a waving motion with his arm. "Go!" She licked her lips before nodding, turning and running after Scott who had put quite a bit of distance between the two of them. She finally made it to the end of the hall and when she did, she ran into Scott, had stopped. Looking around him, she saw one of the Oni pulling it's sword out of Allison's stomach. Scott opened the gate, running over and catching the archer. Sophia began walking over to them, before seeing that Isaac was in pretty bad shape. She debated quickly before turning and making her way over to the Beta, resting a hand on his shoulder before she knelt down. The Oni disappeared. Isaac looked devastated. He leaned back heavily into Sophia, trying to take comfort in the Alpha. She turned her head, resting her forehead against Isaac's head, trying not to cry. Isaac turned his head, resting in the crook her neck and began to cry. The Alpha wrapped her arms around the blonde, hugging him closer as he wrapped his arms around her. She finally let the tears fall.


	47. The Divine Move

**A/N: Hey guys, season finale here! Things have not been going right when it comes to getting these stories edited and posted but I'm really going to try and get them up for you guys! I just want to say thank you for all the faves, follows, and reviews you guys leave on this and every other story I'm writing! It really motivates me to write and post more, so thanks again! Season 4 should start being posted soon!**

**Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Allison was dead. She'd died right in Scott's arms. Sophia had failed to keep her promise to Chris. The redhead ran her fingers through her hair one more time as she sat on the Yukimura's couch with Stiles between her and Kira. The house was silent from the moment they entered. They could hear Noshiko puttering around the kitchen but that was it. She sat two teacups in front of Stiles and Sophia, filling them with tea.

"Here, it'll calm you." She said, placing the cups in front of them. The redhead looked at the cup as she continued to wring her fingers together.

"What is it?" Stiles asked, reaching for his.

"Tea." She said as if it were the simplest thing in the world. It probably was but she-wolf wasn't really thinking clearly, her mind juggling between all the things that had happened in the last few hours.

"What? Like magic tea?" Stiles asked, looking at the liquid in his cup.

"No, chamomile tea. Drink it." Noshiko said, watching them. Stiles nodded, grabbing the cup. "You too Sophia." The girl looked up at her name; back down at the cup, before focusing on her hands.

"He's not safe here." Mr. Yukimura said as he came into the room.

"He's not safe anywhere." Noshiko said to her husband.

"But Allison killed one of them." Kira said quietly from the other side of Stiles. "Doesn't that mean something? She killed an Oni."

"Is that even possible?" Mr. Yukimura asked his wife.

"I'm not sure how." Noshiko responded.

"But she did it. She killed one of them." Kira said again.

"Yeah, and then they killed her." Sophia said, bringing her right hand up to bite at her thumb. She hadn't touched her tea yet.

"Allison's dead." Stiles said. "Now I guess the only good thing is it looks like I'm dying too."

"Don't say that." Sophia said, releasing her thumb from the grip of her teeth. She began to wring them together again. Stiles reached over, gently pulling her hands apart before holding her left hand tightly in his right. She squeezed his hand back. Noshiko stepped over, moving the tea cups back so that she could sit on the edge of the coffee table, looking at Stiles.

"He made a powerful move by splitting the two of you." Kira leaned over and put a piece of the Go board.

"So what's our move?" She asked her mother.

"At this point, you need a divine move." Mr. Yukimura said.

"What's that?" Stiles asked, looking over at the man.

"In the game of Go, it's what we call a truly inspired, or out-of-the-box move. The Nogitsune has had a sente, the advantage, until this point. What you need is a divine move in order to turn the game around." Noshiko explained to them.

"Okay, so is anyone feeling divinely inspired?" Stiles asked and Sophia cracked a smile.

"Mom, you said you trapped it in a glass jar, right?" Kira asked.

"It wasn't the jar that trapped it. It was where I buried it."

"The Nemeton." Sophia and Stiles said at the same time.

"A place I don't know too much about." Noshiko said.

"Who does?" Kira asked.

"Deaton." Stiles said and Sophia nodded.

"Looks like I'm making a trip to the doctor's office." Stiles nodded this time.

**XXX**

"Sophia said it was the Nemeton that kept it trapped." Scott said as he, Sophia, and Lydia followed the vet through the office.

"The problem is this isn't even a person you're fighting. It just looks like one. It's a spirit that's taken the shape of a human." Deaton explained to them.

"The shape of one of my best friends." Scott said to the man.

"Someone caught it once. Someone can do it again, right?" Lydia asked.

"I don't know." Deaton said, shaking his head. "This thing was trapped a long time ago, before the Nemeton was cut down. It doesn't have the same power anymore."

"Is there anything that does?" Sophia asked, leaning on the exam table in front of her.

"Possibly." Deaton said and Sophia's eyebrows rose before she glanced at the others, turning back to the man. "When the tree was whole, its wood was sometimes used to contain powerful objects. But those objects are very rare."

"Powerful objects?" Sophia asked softly, looking down at the table. She blinked a few times before looking at Deaton. "Something like an Alpha's claws?" She could feel Scott and Lydia looking at her from her left side.

"Which Alpha?" Deaton asked. Sophia licked her lips.

"Talia Hale." Deaton looked a little surprised. It had been the first time the redhead had seen him off balance. She glanced at Scott and Lydia; they were both looking at her. "Derek and Peter both showed them to me, they had them in a wooden box with the Triskele carved into the lid. Could it possibly be made from the Nemeton?"

"It was." Deaton said, looking at the she-wolf.

"How do you know?" Scott asked the man.

"Because I made it." Deaton said, looking at each one of them.

**XXX**

"Thanks. I'll see you there." Sophia said as she hung up the phone, slipping it back into her pocket. "Derek has it and he's going to meet us there with it." She said to everyone in the room. Lydia was looking at Sophia when her eyes slipped shut and she stumbled back. Scott caught and righted her before she opened her eyes again, blinking a couple of times before focusing them.

"What's wrong?" Deaton asked.

"Something's happening. I had this sudden rushing feeling, like we're running out of time." Lydia said to them.

"Yeah." They all turned their heads, seeing Stiles begin supported by Kira. He was looking worse and worse as time went on. "Yeah, I kind of got that feeling too."

XXX

Sophia followed Scott all the way to the school from the clinic. She knew Stiles was in bad shape if he was letting Scott drive. She parked the Camaro before getting out. Stiles stumbled out of the front seat of the Jeep, taking a big step to lean against the railing. Lydia got out and ran over to him, helping him stand and taking most of his weight as they made their way towards the school. Scott was just about to open the doors to walk inside when Stiles stopped him.

"Scott, hold on." The True Alpha turned to him. "I know what you're all thinking. If this works, it might kill me, too. But even if it does, you have to go through with it. Stick with the plan, okay?"

"The plan is to save you." Scott said to him.

"And that's the plan we're going with." Sophia said, turning and nodding to Scott before he pushed the doors open. They walked inside but what they saw wasn't the school hallway. It looked like a Japanese style garden, covered with white snow. It was gently snowing around them. The doors behind them creaked as they closed before slamming shut. The five of them turned around, looking at the now closed doors.

"Oh, this is definitely not part of the plan." Stiles said. The place was silent as the falling snow. The only thing that could be heard was their breathing. Turning to the doorway, a figure appeared. It was what could be considered the Nogitsune's original form. It turned towards them, coming closer. Kira pulled her sword from its sheath while Sophia let her Beta form take over.

"Like I promised, Stiles." The demon said. "We're going to kill all of them. One by one." Suddenly, an Oni appeared. Kira quickly blocked the Oni's sword, causing Scott to jump in surprise. Four more Oni appeared, surrounded them slowly.

"What the hell is this? Where are we?" Scott asked the demon fox.

"Between life and death." The Nogitsune said.

"Bardo." Lydia said.

"But there are no peaceful deities here, Lydia. You're dying, Stiles. And now everyone you care about is dying, too."

"What? What do you mean?" Stiles asked quietly.

"I've captured almost all of the territories on the board, Stiles. The hospital. The sheriff's station. And now the animal clinic." Stiles and Scott turned to the Oni, being the ones most affected by the locations named by the Demon. The Oni didn't attack just yet; they were waiting for their new master's orders. "Do you know the ritual of seppuku, Stiles?"

"No, and I don't want to." He said, not leaving his place from beside Lydia.

"When a samurai disembowels himself with his own sword to maintain his honor, but that's not the cut that kills him. The killing stroke is made by his kaishakunin, who beheads the samurai with his own katana. Scott…" He said, pointing to the other boy. "Scott is your kaishakunin. I'm going to make your best friend kill you, Stiles. And you're going to let him. Because just like you, they're all going to die." The Nogitsune was merely a few steps in front of them. "Everyone touched by an Oni's blade. Unless Scott kills you first." Sophia felt her gums itch, her fangs wanting to drop fiercely. Her eyes shifted, taking on the Alpha red color.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Stiles asked the demon, the two standing face to face.

"To win the game." He said before he stepped back and the Oni began swinging their swords. Immediately, Sophia roared, allowing her fangs to drop. Scott shifted into his Beta form as well, growling. Kira crouched down, holding her sword steady.

**XXX**

Fighting the Onis was more difficult than Sophia remembering it was. She had read somewhere, during her research of Kitsunes that breaking a symbolic talisman (that acted like that particular Kitsune's tails) could result in more power. That must've been what happened when the Nogitsune took control of the Onis, it must've broken one of Noshiko's tails. With how powerful they were, she would assume of her the woman's last ones. Sophia dodged every blow, swiping back with her claws but they just kept coming back. While trying to dodge every blow, she was pushed back-to-back with Kira and Scott.

"How is this happening? How are we in this place?" Scott asked them.

"You're asking me? A month ago, I'd never even touched a sword." Kira said back to him and if it were any other situation, Sophia may have laughed.

"Move!" Sophia ordered, pushing back into the two behind her before jumping to the side, avoiding an attack by one of the Onis. She swiped at their torso area when she could before jumping up to kick them in the head when she needed breathing room. She avoided a slash that was aimed at her stomach before, like the elegant and graceful wolf that she was, she tripped over her own two feet. She fell hard onto her side, rolling onto her back and preparing to do a kip-up when an Oni stood over her, sword poised at her heart. She grabbed the blade, ignoring the pain that running from her hands all the way up her arms into her shoulders.

"Stiles, no!" The redhead looked up, Stiles had Kira's sword in his hands, aiming the sword right for his stomach. She could hear the Nogitsune growl.

"Stiles!" Sophia called to him, trying to push the Oni's blade back and keep it away from her chest.

"What if it saves you? What if it saves all of you?" Stiles asked.

"What if it's just another trick?" Lydia asked, she was panicking.

"No more tricks, Lydia." The demon said from where he was standing by the doors again. "End it Scott. Let your friend fall on his own sword. Do for him what he cannot do for himself." Sophia looked up when the Oni standing above her stood up and lined up with the rest of them. Looking down at her hands, she made a fist before rolling onto her stomach before getting to her knees and then her feet. She came to stand next to Scott. "Do it, Scott! Be his kaishakaunin. Give up the game." Stiles was trembling violently until Sophia noticed that he stopped slowly. He was looking at something in the reflection of the blade before he looked over his shoulder at something. He turned his gaze to the two Alphas standing side-by-side. "You have no moves left." Stiles pulled the sword away from his stomach, looking at it before nodding slightly.

"I do." He said more to himself than anything. He threw the sword to Kira, who caught it easily. "A divine move." Stiles said to the demon and Sophia's brows rose. He'd come up with a plan? Not that she would suspect anything less from him. "Stop fighting them. It's an illusion." Stiles said as Lydia came to stand next to him again, supporting his weight. "You have to stop fighting them. It looks real and it feels real, but guys, you got to trust me, it's an illusion." Sophia looked over at Scott, who looked back at her. They turned, looking at the Nogitsune. The demon was blocking their only exit. The Oni lined up on each side, making a path to the fox spirit. Slowly, Scott made his way forward between the two lines of Oni. Sophia followed him next with Kira behind her. When the first slash went across her side, she gasped in pain but kept walking. The next one was across the back of her thighs and she stumbled, her knees almost buckling but she caught herself and kept moving. One across her back, another across her stomach, and one down her arm were the wounds she received before Scott reached the Nogitsune, grabbing him and pushing him through the doors behind him.

They all stumbled through and suddenly, they were back in the school and all the injuries they received were non-existent. The hallway was quiet and dark. "We're okay." Scott said, looking up at everyone. "We're–" He was slammed back into the lockers. Turning around quickly, Sophia watched as the Nogitsune, this time wearing Stiles' face, backhanded Kira, knocking her into the wall behind her before she fell to the ground. Sophia growled, her eyes changing to red as her fangs dropped again. She backed up, forcing Stiles and Lydia to back up as well.

"This was my game. You think you can beat me at my game?" He said, turning to look at them. Sophia snarled, ready to charge him when he appeared in front of her quickly. She blinked in surprise before he grabbed her around the neck, cutting off her air supply briefly before throwing her into a wall. She felt her head slam back. She crumpled to the ground, her ears ringing and her vision swimming. She sat there for a moment, letting her head heal as she regained her wits. She looked down the hall, Scott was getting up. She blinked a few more times, her vision clearing completely. Looking to her left, she could see the Nogitsune standing in front of Stiles and Lydia. She turned back to Scott when the boy reached down and grabbed her arm to help her up. When she was steady on her feet, the Alphas made their way down the hall as quietly as they could.

"You forgot about the scroll." Stiles said to the Nogitsune.

"The Shugendo Scroll." Lydia explained and there as a pause.

"Change the host." The Nogitsune muttered.

"You can't be a fox and a wolf." Stiles said just as both Alphas grabbed the Nogitsune's shoulders, making sure to dig their claws in deeply before they bit down on both arms, making sure their fangs pierced the clothing. Scott pulled his teeth and claws free, turning to look at the Nogistune while Sophia held on, trying to keep the demon semi-still as Kira came up behind him, running him through with her katana.

When she pulled the sword out, Sophia released him, watching as he fell to his knees. He gasped for a moment before he opened his mouth and a fly flew out. Before it could go very far, Isaac snapped the lid shut on the Triskele box, screwing the lid on tightly.

. He fell to his knees, opening his mouth and releasing a fly. Lucky for them, it didn't get too far before Isaac trapped it in the Triskele box that Derek had brought. The body spasmed before falling still, his face cracking. It fell forward, turning to dust when it hit the ground and the hallway fell silent once again. They all gazed at each other before Stiles took a step away from Lydia and fainted. Rolling him onto his back, Sophia pushed in beside Scott to check his pulse. It was strong. She sighed, shifting to lean against her best friend and fellow Alpha. Scott wrapped an arm around her shoulder, hugging her close. Stiles opened his eyes, looking around at them.

"Oh, God. I fainted, didn't I?" Stiles asked and they couldn't help but laugh. "We're alive." He said, looking at each one of them. "We all alive?"

"Yeah, we're okay." Scott said to him. Sophia knew he was thinking about Allison. Stiles sighed. Lydia suddenly stood up.

"What's wrong Lydia?" Sophia asked, standing up as well. She looked down the hall for a moment.

"Aiden…" She said before breaking off into a run. Sophia followed after her. Being a werewolf meant that even with Lydia's head start, they were both outside and at the concrete stairs at the same time. Lydia stopped at the top, her mouth opening in shock before she turned back into Stiles, who had followed them out. Sophia's breath caught before she ran down the stairs and over to the three werewolves and former hunter. She fell to her knees beside Derek before she reached out, grabbing Aiden's arm and pulling up his sleeve. She wrapped both hands around his forearms tightly, watching as the black veins dance up her arms.

"Sophia, no!" Derek said forcefully when he realized what she was planning on doing. He reached out and wrapped his arms around the Alpha, turning and pulling her away from him.

"Derek, let me do this! Please!" She said, struggling in the man's hold as he stood, bringing her with him. The boy had grown on her, as much as they wanted to be in Scott's pack, after everything, Sophia felt like they were a part of her pack as well. To lose one of them… it hurt. It hurt in the same way that they'd lost Allison. She couldn't hold it back anymore, she let the tears fall. All the tears from Allison and now Aiden. They'd lost two pack members in less than twenty-four hours. Derek gently turned her into him, so that she could wrap her arms around him. She clung to him tightly, allowing the sobs to finally spill past her lips. Derek wrapped his arms around his mate, burying his face in her hair, allowing her to cry.

**XXX**

The morning didn't bring any respite for the redhead. She spent the remainder of the night with Derek at the loft before the beta drove her home in the Camaro. He parked it in the designated parking spot, turning it off. He glanced at her before sighing and turning towards her.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly. Even coming out as a whisper seemed much too loud for the quiet moment. The girl looked out the window and shook her head.

"No…" She replied softly, being completely honest with her mate. They'd saved Stiles… but at what cost? Derek reached over and placed a hand on her thigh.

"I know it's going to be tough but… we're going to get through this." He said and she finally turned to look at him. He could see the red in her eyes from all the crying she'd done. It felt strange to the she-wolf. Crying. She hadn't cried like that since the Hale Pack had perished in the flames of the fire Kate had started. She licked her lips and nodded her head softly before looking back at her lap. She was exhausted. Even after making it back to the loft, she didn't sleep. She tried, only to be plagued with nightmares. Derek leaned over, pressing a kiss to her temple before getting out of the driver's seat. She slowly followed him, getting out of the passenger seat and making her way to the front door, Derek right behind her. She tried the door, not surprised to see that it was open since both of her parents cars were in the driveway. She left the door open for Derek to follow her through. She could hear him close it behind them.

Sophia knew that her parents knew about what happened. They stayed in constant contact with John and Melissa since they'd found out about werewolves and everything that had been going on the last few days were no exception. Her mother came around the corner, smiling slightly at something her husband said when she noticed Sophia standing in the entrance of the living room, looking down at the ground. Derek standing behind her, almost protectively, even in her own house. Throwing the dishtowel down over the back of the couch, the woman came over at wrapped her arms around Sophia with no questions. Instantly, the contact made the teenager whimper, trying to hold back anymore tears as she wrapped her arms around her mother. Derek watched silently as her father also came into the room. He watched his daughter sympathetically as she tried not to fall apart once again. Her mother looked up at Derek, giving him a small smile. _Thank you_ she mouthed to him and he nodded slightly. He could see the slight trembling in her shoulders she tried to keep herself together.

"Do you want something to eat?" Her mother asked and the girl shook her head.

"I'm not hungry." She muttered so quietly that if Derek wasn't a werewolf he would have missed it. He shook his head at her mother when she looked up at him. Judy petted her daughter's hair.

"Alright… but if you do hungry you can come down and get anything alright." Sophia nodded before turning and making her way upstairs. When she was out of sight, Judy turned to Derek, offering the older boy a smile. "Thank you for taking care of her Derek." He nodded, offering the woman a small smile.

"It's no problem at all." He nodded to them, beginning to turn towards the door.

"Stay." Matthew, her father said, surprising both Judy and Derek. "She's going to need you. You understand everything that happened out there, we don't. It would be better for you to be here." Derek nodded softly.

"If you're sure…" The older man nodded, offering Derek a small smile.

"Not 100% but I now she's going to need someone." The werewolf nodded.

"Are you hungry?" Judy asked and Derek shook his head. She nodded in understanding. "Alright, I'll wrap a couple of plats and put them in the refrigerator for you if you change your mind." Derek smiled at her again.

"Thank you." He said before turning and making his way towards the stairs.

**XXX**

When Derek stepped into the room, Sophia was sitting on the edge of the bed, fully dressed while looking at the floor. He tilted his head before walking over to her and kneeling down. She turned her eyes to him as he untied the laces of her boots, pulling them off and setting them aside. When he was done, he stood back up. "Lay down." He nudged his head towards the pillows. "You need to try and get some sleep." She hesitated for a moment before nodding. She shuffled onto the bed, pulling her hoodie off before settling down. Derek pulled off his own boots and leather jacket before lying down beside her on his back. Almost immediately, Sophia scooted towards him, wrapping an arm around his torso and laying her head over his heart, listening to his strong heartbeat. He looked over, pressing a kiss to her forehead before laying his head back down, looking at the ceiling.

**XXX**

Derek was proud of himself. He'd managed to get Sophia up, out of bed, and into the shower. He'd decided to take her to her favorite diner on the edge of town just to help her get her mind off of things. She'd been moping around for a couple of days but it looked like she was finally coming out of her slump. All the teenagers were. He waited patiently as he heard the shower running. She had a pretty full schedule from what he understood. He was taking her to breakfast and then she was going over to Scott's to help Malia, the werecoyote who had transferred into their school, then a late lunch with Danny before settling in for the night with a dinner with her parents. He heard the water turn off before the redhead got out of the shower. He'd already laid out her clothes for her.

He looked up when the bathroom door opened. She was wearing a dark green long-sleeve Henley with a pair of black skinny jeans. Her hair was still wet but it wasn't dripping everywhere. She smiled at him and he smiled back. "Thank you." She said as she made her way over to her dresser to get her brush and hair ties. He smiled at her even if she couldn't see him.

**XXX**

The diner was relatively empty so they were able to get their favorite booth. The meal was uneventful but she did enjoy getting to spend time with Derek. They both ordered their favorite meals but ended up picking off of each other's' plates. It was a habit that neither realized was becoming a habit.

"So…" Derek asked, taking a bite of omelet. "What school are you thinking about going to?" That reminded the redhead that she really only had another month or two before she graduated high school. She shrugged her shoulders lightly, putting a fork-full of scrambled eggs into her mouth.

"I was thinking about the University of California in Northridge. They have a really good sports medicine program as well as mythology and cryptozoology." She answered; smiling when she looked up at Derek's shocked face.

"Sports medicine I knew but why the other stuff?" He asked. She shrugged.

"I guess being one intrigued me. I mean…" She took a sip of her soda, "Sports have always been my thing since Lacrosse but, knowing the history about creatures like us, even if they're not the true history just seemed cool to me." He smiled at her.

"I'll support you no matter what." He said and she smiled.

"What about you?" She asked, pulling a part a piece of bacon. "Are you going to finish your degree?" She looked up at him through her lashes as he chocked lightly on his drink. She smiled as she took a bite.

"How did you know about that?" He asked and she just tilted her head. He sighed and shook his head with a fond smile.

"I don't know if I'm going to finish that degree… I have my mind set on another one." He answered. Their table fell silent for a moment.

"You know, CSUN has a good architecture program." She hinted. The man looked up at her as she reached over to his plate and grabbed a piece of toast.

"Is that your way of asking me to go with you?" He asked carefully. She tilted her head, shrugging her shoulders.

"If your answer is yes than I am asking." She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes as she turned her head to the window. He let a smile take over his features.

"If you're sure…." He left it open and she nodded, turning back to him with a smile. "That settles that." He said, taking another bite. Sophia smiled at him, stretching her legs out under the table, wrapping her ankles up in Derek's. She could see the man smile even as he took a sip of his soda.

**XXX**

Scott popped his claws free before Sophia followed his lead. Stiles, who was sitting on the bed, watched them both before turning his attention to Malia. She tried to do the same thing as the two Alphas but nothing happened. The girl had decided to go to BHHS to be with the pack and to learn everything she missed when she spent time as a coyote. She was still having some trouble as a human but it would all come with time. She tried a second time but again, nothing. She sighed in frustration.

"It's okay." Sophia said with a chuckle.

"Don't think about it too much." Scott said, smiling at her. "Just try to let it happen." She closed her eyes and repeated the movement again, this time though, her claws came out. Sophia and Scott smiled. Her mouth dropped open in shock before she turned quickly to show Stiles, the boy (the spazz that he was) jumped away from her.

"Oh, I am so sorry." She said, smiling. She couldn't help but laugh as she looked at her claws. Sophia smiled at her.

**XXX**

"So Danno…" Sophia said after the waitress walked off with their orders. "What are your plans?" She asked. The boy shrugged.

"I'm not really sure." She nodded. "I know you have a plan." They both chuckled.

"Yeah… I'm think CSUN with a major in sports medicine and minors in cryptozoology and mythology." He nodded his head.

"That sounds good. I mean, you always did love sports." She nodded, taking a sip of her soda. "And the minors will be good for all of the werewolves and stuff running around Beacon Hills." He said, stirring his own drink. He smiled as he listened to Sophia choke and cough.

"What the hell Danny?" She asked as the boy lifted his head. "How the hell do you know about that?" She asked.

"It's Beacon Hills." He said and Sophia has to think of how sad it is that that actually answers her question.

"So you knew about Ethan?" He nodded his head. They paused their conversation to get their food from the waitress. When she walked away, she turned back to her best friend. "So you know…"

"About you? Yeah." He said with a smile, taking a bite of his burger. She blinked at him before tilting her head.

"Alright…" She muttered before dipping her chicken strip into her BBQ sauce and taking a bite.

"And you're dating Stiles' cousin?" Sophia almost choked again, this time with laughter.

"Okay, let's clear the air for that one." She said, smiling at him. "His real name is Derek Hale. He used to live here in Beacon Hills." Danny nodded, showing her that he remembered him. "We grew up together and, somehow, we just kind of… fell into a relationship." He smiled.

"You're happier, that's for sure." She smiled back, thinking about Derek.

"So, we're keeping in contact after graduation, right?" She asked as she picked up her soda to take a drink. The boy scoffed.

"Of course we are. What kind of stupid question is that?" He rolled his eyes with a fond smile and she smiled back, eating a few fries. Even after the darkest moments of her life, things were looking a little better… brighter. She was going to enjoy it while it lasted.


	48. The Big Moment

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I promise I'm not forgetting these stories! Everything just kind of falls apart when I try to sit down and edit… Anyway, I have a favor to ask of you guys. If you could go onto my profile page and vote on the poll I have there, it will help a lot with the future of this story. If you are not registered as a user that can vote, please leave a comment to let me know what should happen! I'll leave the question and options below and the poll will be open until I get close to that moment in the story!**

**Poll Question: What should happen to Sophia if/when she loses her Alpha powers?**

**Poll Choices: She loses her Alpha powers and remains a Beta for the remainder of the story **_**or **_**She loses her Alpha powers but gains them back as a True Alpha.**

**Please go vote! It will help me out a lot with the remainder of the story! Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review! It means so much to me to know that you guys like the story! It's one of my absolutely favorites to write!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia smiled as she made sure her cap wasn't going to fall from her head. She was in the girl's designated area getting ready for the big walk across the stage they're using for her high school graduation. She was so excited to get done so that she would be able to head back home to her graduation party. When she was happy with the little bit of make-up that she'd worn and that her cap was settled, she made her way into the hall where she heard many of the other graduating seniors talking and laughing. She smiled immediately when she saw Danny waiting for her.

"Hey." He said, hugging the girl. She hugged him back.

"Hey, you ready?" She asked him. While Sophia was graduating in her appropriate class, Danny had managed to graduate a year early.

"I think so." He answered before they were instructed to get into order. Sophia and Danny didn't have to separate to be in alphabetical order since they they were 4th and 5th in the class respectively. That also meant they got their diplomas and had to wait for everyone else.

**XXX**

The pair settled into their seats as the speeches began from their principle, valedictorian, and salutatorian. As soon as those were done, they began calling the students by name across the stage to receive their diplomas. Danny couldn't help but chuckle, he could feel Sophia practically trembling with excitement. She had already warned her parents that in the pictures that would be taken by the photographer that she was going to have to close her eyes to prevent the flaring that came with being a werewolf.

"Sophia Markus." She smiled as she stood up and walked across the stage, shaking hands with a few people before shaking hands with principle and turning for the picture. She closed her eyes at the last second to make sure that the flare didn't affect them. Before she could sit down, they called for Danny. She smiled at the boy as he stood up and repeated the process she did. She smiled at him again when he sat down, fist bumping him as they listened to the remainder of the names being called.

**XXX**

Sophia laughed as she wrapped her arms around her mom and dad. They'd finally finished the graduation ceremony and had made their way outside. When she pulled away from them, she laughed when Stiles and Scott almost tackled her to the ground. She wrapped her arms around their necks, scenting them both subtly.

"Congrats." Stiles said as he pulled away, smiling at the girl. She smiled back, unaware that her mom was taking pictures of the three of them.

"Thanks." She said, hugging them close again before pulling away totally. She turned when a hand was placed on her back, smiling up at Derek. He smiled back at her before wrapping his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to pick her a few inches off the ground.

"Congratulations baby." He whispered into her ear before setting her down.

"Thanks." She whispered back before leaning up on her toes to press a kiss to her lips. He placed a hand on her cheek, leaning down to kiss her back. They both jumped when someone clapped behind her. They pulled away, looking over at her dad. He smirked a little.

"Alright, let's head home." He said as he put his hand on his wife's back, leading her towards the car.

"Party!" Stiles and Scott yelled as they ran towards the powder blue jeep in the parking lot. Sophia chuckled as Derek wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They walked towards the parking lot. Derek had ridden with Sophia in the Camaro. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

"I'm really proud of you." He said to her, looking down at her. She looked up at him and smiled.

**XXX**

"You can go ahead and head outside, I'm gonna hang up my cap and gown." Sophia said to Derek as they stepped into the house; she could hear the party happening in the backyard. He nodded his head.

"Alright, don't be long." He said, kissing the side of her head as he made his way towards the backdoor. Sophia smiled at his back before making her way upstairs and into her room. She quickly took off her gown and made sure it was hanging up before fixing her hair from where the cap had been on. She looked down at her dress. It was a black stretch knit dress with a fitted bodice. It had a deep V-neckline while dropping down to her knees, and double straps in the back. She nodded to herself as she made her way back down the stairs. Stepping outside, she smiled when she saw everyone there. She had some family come in from out-of-state as well as the pack. She could see Melissa and John there as well.

"Come on." Lydia said as she stepped up to the older girl, linking her arm with Sophia's as she lead her towards the party. "You look fabulous, by the way." She said, looking at the girl's dress.

"Thank you." She said, stopping a few times to speak briefly with family members. She smiled as she came over towards the pack. Isaac, Scott, Stiles, Kira, and Malia were waiting for her. She thought she had briefly seen Chris Argent there as well but she hadn't seen him since Lydia got her. She hugged each one of them.

"So, where were you thinking about going to school?" Kira asked as she took a bite of the piece of cake Derek had brought over. Sophia wasn't sure how he'd managed to bring a piece of cake for the whole pack but he had.

"I'm thinking California State University in Northridge. I mean, nothing is official until I get the acceptance letter." She shrugged, taking a bite of her cake. It was a chocolate cake with chocolate chips in it with buttercream icing.

"Sport medicine, right?" Stiles asked with a mouthful. Sophia rolled her eyes before nodding.

"Yeah, with minors in Cryptozoology and mythology." She could hear Isaac chuckle. "Yeah, I thought it would help us out." The others smiled. They talked until she'd finished her cake. Glancing around, she sighed a little. "As fun as this is, I have to mingle. A lot of money coming my way." She winked at the pack as they laughed before she turned and walked towards her mom and dad. She could hear Derek following her.

"Having fun, honey?" Her mom asked when she was close enough. Sophia nodded her head.

"Is that little Sophie?" She heard someone say. When she turned, she saw her Aunt Margret. The woman was a little shorter than Sophia's five-foot-six. She had dark brown hair with some gray intermixed and green/hazel eyes. She was a cheerful woman, always making everyone smile around her.

"Hi Aunt Maggie!" Sophia said, stepping towards the woman to hug her.

"You've gotten so big." The woman said, cupping Sophia cheeks when she pulled away. "You're beautiful." Sophia smiled as she felt her face heat up slightly.

"Thank you." She responded.

"Who is that strapping young man?" The woman asked and Sophia turned to look over her shoulder. She could see Derek talking with John.

"The Sheriff or the other one?" Sophia asked, even though she knew who her aunt was talking about.

"Well, I mean the Sheriff is a handsome man but I was talking about the younger one." The older woman winked at her. Sophia chuckled.

"That's Derek Hale."

"Well, he sure is handsome. I wonder if he's that handsome up-close…" Sophia laughed and Maggie smiled.

"Let's find out. Derek…" Sophia called to her boyfriend, who looked up at her. He excused himself from his conversation with John before coming over to them.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked and Sophia smiled.

"Derek, this is my Aunt Maggie. Aunt Maggie, this is my boyfriend, Derek Hale." Sophia introduced them. Maggie smirked and nudged the young redhead, causing her to smile. Derek smiled at the woman.

"It's nice to meet you." He said.

"It's very nice to meet you too." Maggie said to him and Sophia bit her lip to not laugh. Who knew her aunt could be all flirty. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Glancing behind her, she saw Chris Argent. Her smile fell slightly. The man offered Maggie and Derek a smile and a hello before nudging his head towards the house. She nodded and the man made his way inside.

"So Der, why don't you talk with Aunt Maggie some while I go talk to Mr. Argent." Sophia said, smirking at her boyfriend. His eyes widen slightly before he tried to school his expression.

"Sure." He said and she smiled, leaning up on her toes to press a chaste kiss to his lips before making her way towards the house. Stepping inside, she closed the glass door behind her, seeing Chris in the kitchen.

"Hey…" She said quietly as she came towards him. He turned to her, offering her a small smile.

"Hey. Congratulations." She offered her own small smile before coming to stand beside him.

"Look—" She began before he cut her off.

"I don't blame you." She turned to him surprised. "I couldn't blame you. I know you did everything you could to protect her. I know it was eating you alive after it happened. Derek had mentioned something." She raised an eyebrow.

"Since when do you and Derek have normal conversations, if you don't mind me asking?" He chuckled.

"Derek said you didn't get out of bed for three or four days and that I needed to talk to you about it." He answered and she nodded. "We all miss her. We all want her back but the best thing we can do for her is to live our lives to the very fullest." She nodded her head again before crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know it's just… it's hard. I made a promise to you that I couldn't keep. To watch her die in Scott's arms… it just made me feel so powerless. I'm an Alpha werewolves and I can't even protect one person." Chris stepped toward, wrapping arm around her shoulders to pull her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around the man's torso. They stood there for a few moments before she pulled away from him, carefully wiping the wetness from the bottom of her eyes without smearing her make-up. "Thank you. I needed that." He gave her a small smile.

"You're welcome." He paused, looking outside before turning back to her. "I wanted to let you know, I'm going to be heading to France for a while." She watched him quietly. "Isaac is going to be going with me."

"Oh…" She said, surprised. "Okay. I understand." She gave him a small smile. Chris opened his mouth but Sophia shook her head. "I get it. You both need time to heal. Don't worry about us." The man nodded his head slightly.

"There you are." Scott said as he came inside. She smiled at him.

"Yeah, Chris and I were just talking." She said back to him.

"Your mom was wondering where you disappeared to. She was beginning to get lots of money envelopes." Scott smiled at her.

"Well, I better head back outside." She smiled back, beginning to follow the other Alpha.

"Sophia." Chris called her back. She paused, turning to look at him. He held out an envelope to her. She looked down at it before looking back up at his face and taking it when she saw him nod slightly. He offered her another small smile before slipping by the two of them to make his way back outside. They watched him for a moment before Scott turned towards her. She shrugged softly before opening the envelope and pulling out the paper inside. It was a check for $150. She smiled before showing it to Scott. He whistled and she shook her head, putting the check back into the envelope.

"You wanna hold this for me?" She asked and Scott nodded.

"Sure." He answered, folding the envelope in half before putting it into his pocket. She smiled at him once more before she linked her arm with his as they made their way back outside.

**XXX**

Sophia sat at the kitchen table with at least five college letters in front of her. Her mom and dad were sitting across from her with Derek beside her. The man was holding his own letter from CSUN.

"You know, you have to open them at some point." Her dad said, watching the two of them.

"I know…" Sophia mumbled, pushing the CSUN one aside while focusing on the others. Left in the pile was the University of Southern California (a possible full-ride due to Lacrosse), Indiana University (another Lacrosse), University of Nevada (for Sports Medicine), and the California Institute of Technology. She sighed. "Here we go." She grabbed the first letter, Indiana University. She opened the envelope, sighing before pulling the letter out. She slowly opened it up, skimming the letter. She smiled; she was accepted with a 75% tuition ride for playing Lacrosse. "One down, four to go." She handed the letter to her mom.

Next was the University of Nevada. Opening the letter, she quickly read over it and nodded her head, putting it down on the table. She didn't get in, not that she wanted to go to Vegas anyway. Derek laid a hand on the back of her shoulder. She grabbed the letter from University of Southern California, opening it up and reading it. She smiled wider; a 100%, full-ride scholarship for Lacrosse.

"It's a completely full-ride." She said to them. Her parents and Derek smiled wider for her.

"Great job sweetie." Her dad said to her, looking so proud of her.

"Congratulations baby." Derek said to her, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"So we have an acceptance to University of Southern California and Indiana University. Three down, two to go." Her mom said, looking equally as proud as her father. Sophia nodded her head, grabbing the letter from the California Institute of Technology. She opened the letter and skimmed it, she didn't get in. She set it down on the table and shook her head. So far, she was in to two schools that she was okay with on almost full-rides. She looked at the letter from California State University, taking in a deep breath and releasing it before grabbing the letter. She looked over at Derek to see him holding his letter as well.

"At the same time?" Sophia asked him. He nodded and together, they opened their letters.

"So Derek, what were you thinking about?" Her mom asked as they opened their letters.

"I'm about half-way through with my major in Architecture so I thought I would go back and finish that one. I was also thinking about becoming a double major and majoring in Criminology." Sophia looked at him with a smile.

"Really?" She asked and he nodded. "So you would work with John?"

"That's the plan." Derek said with a small smile.

"Alright, read the letters." Her dad said, urging the two of them to see if they got accepted. At the same time, they pulled the letters out of the envelops, skimming over them. Sophia smiled, she got accepted.

"You're in?" Her mom asked, Sophia could smell the excitement in the air from her parents. The redhead nodded. She got into the school that she really wanted to. She turned to Derek; the man was looking at the letter. He had his head tilted slightly, his eyes a little cloudy.

"Derek?" She asked the man. He jumped slightly, turning to look at his girlfriend.

"Yeah… I'm good." He smiled. "I got in." Sophia's smile got wider, if it was possible, before she leaned over and hugged Derek. The man hugged her back as her parents were clapping.

"Well, I guess it's an easy decision." Her mom said and Sophia saw her dad nod.

"What is yours?" Sophia asked, pulling away. "Mine's a 75% tuition ride." Almost

"Mine's a 50%." Derek answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Not that it matters." She understood the silent reference. When his parents died, he inherited their life-savings, the insurance money, and everything that they left for him. It would be more than enough for the two of them to live comfortable for the rest of their lives and still have some left over.

**XXX**

As Sophia and her mom cleaned up the table, Derek and her dad were watching a football game. "So, what's the plan?" Her mother asked, looking up at her. "Are you guys planning on going to start school next semester or are you going to wait?"

"I was thinking about doing some online classes while were here in Beacon Hills. This way, at least we get our pre-requisites out of the way." Sophia explained and her mother hummed.

"That sounds like a good plan. And you guys will be moving to Northridge when that's done?"

"Yeah, Derek and I were going to start looking into apartments close to the school and we'll just go from there." There was a moment of pause.

"I'm very proud of both of you… both of you." The redhead looked up at her mom and smiled. The women laughed when they heard her dad shouting about a bad call, they could vaguely hear Derek wolfishly growling at the TV.

**XXX**

_Sophia stood in the locker room, watching Derek. "It was a dream. It was actually… it was more like a nightmare."_

"_What happened?" She asked softly, taking a few steps closer. Derek rubbed his hands together._

"_It started with these hunters that caught Peter and me after we left Cora." Derek explained. "It was a family of them lead by a guy named Severo. They broke into my loft." Sophia came to sit in front of Derek on the other bench as he told the story._

"_Who was it?" She asked, leaning forward so that Derek would look at her face. He looked up at her._

"_There's a lot of myths about how people can be turned into a werewolf. Usually a bite. There's one about rain water."_

"_Drinking rain water out of the puddle of a werewolf's print." She said, playing with the zipper of her leather jacket._

"_There's another one. A deep enough scratch." He said. Sophia scooted forward, grabbing his hands and pulling them apart, holding them in her own._

"_Big Bad, if this is all just a dream, why do you look so worried?"_

"_Because I don't remember waking up. So tell me. How do you know? How do you know if you're still dreaming?"_

"_Stiles always told me to count your fingers. You in dreams you have extra fingers." Derek held up one of Sophia's hands, seeing that there was an extra finger there._

**XXX**

_Derek fell to his knees, placing his hands over the shotgun wound in his chest. "It's real." He whispered to himself. "You're real." He said to the figure coming through the smoke. Kate Argent emerged._

"_That's right, Derek. And if seeing me is a surprise, watch this." The woman said before her face began to shift. Her skin turned blue with dark blue strips appearing on her cheeks and forehead. Her blue eyes turned green and she grew fangs. She growled, sounding much more like a large cat rather than a wolf._

**XXX**

Sophia shot up out of bed with a scream that could rival a banshee. When the scream died off, her parents ran into the room. "Sophie? Are you alright?" Her mom said, getting ready to touch her daughter. She noticed how bad the girl was trembling. Her eyes were glazed over with tears as she gasped for breath. Not only did she have a nightmare, it had also triggered a panic attack. Something didn't feel right to the Alpha.

"Sophie, I need you to count with me okay?" Her dad said, getting into her line of sight. She tried to nod her head. Slowly, he counted all the way to ten with her before her breathing stopped being forced. "You okay now?" She was taking in deep breaths, she was still trembling slightly.

"I think I will be." She said softly. Her parents watched her for a moment before they left the room. Sophia grabbed her phone, seeing a new text. It was from Derek.

_**From Big Bad (2:23 am)**_

_**I know it's late but Cora just called and said she needed some help down in South America. So I headed down there, I know I should have told you in person and I'm sorry for that. I'll let you know as soon as I'm on my way back.**_

Sophia tilted her head. She'd stopped shaking but she didn't think she was going to get anymore sleep. She glanced on her bedside table, sitting there was the key to the loft. Maybe she would pop by soon and clean-up for when he came home. It was a little weird for Derek to leave on such short notice but Cora was some of the only family he had left so Sophia understood.

With a sigh, the redhead made her way downstairs to get a cup of hot chocolate. Maybe that would help to calm her nerves. As she got everything prepared, she tried not to think about what her dream meant and the sudden text from Derek saying he was heading to South America. It just seemed so weird. Once her hot chocolate was done, she put a couple of small marshmallows into it before she walked over to the couch. She sat down, snuggling into corner before cradling the cup in her hands.

She felt uneasy about the whole situation. Her wolf was no better. She just felt scratchy, itchy feeling under her skin, like the wolf wanted to bust out any minute and look for her packmate and boyfriend. She took in a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before letting it out. She took a sip of her hot chocolate. Hopefully, Derek would call or text her to let her know he was okay.


	49. The Dark Moon

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! Things have been crazy but here we are! Season 4! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! A reader had an idea and I loved it, so I have incorporated it into this and the remaining seasons but it's going to be a surprise for a later chapter! Please let me know if you guys like it!Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review! It would mean the world to me! **

**P.S. Please don't forget to go to my profile and vote on the poll I have open for this story! It would help me a lot in going forward!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

"Okay, so how longs it been?" Stiles asked as he, Scott, Lydia, and Sophia walked into the animal clinic.

"Weeks. He hasn't gotten back to any of my texts." Scott said as he turned back towards the other two.

"Has Derek ever returned your texts?" Stiles as the young Alpha.

"Once. Definitely once." He said.

"He always answers me and he hasn't in weeks." Sophia said, leaning on the table and looking between her best friends.

"It felt different this time." Scott said. "So I went to the loft and Sophia was already there. The alarm was on. Everything looked okay. But I found these." Scott said, taking the top off of the tin container off. Stiles reached inside and pulled out one of the bullet casing inside. "I sent a picture to Deaton. He said that it's the mark of a family of hunters based out of Mexico."

"Their names are the Calaveras." Sophia looked at them. "Derek told me a little bit about them before. From when he took Cora back to South America."

"What would they want with Derek?" Lydia asked, looking at Sophia.

"You don't think they killed him, do you?" Stiles asked, looking at the three of them.

"I don't know." Scott said and Sophia dropped her head. "That's why you're here." Scott said to Lydia. Sophia pushed the container of bullets to the Banshee. She reached inside, pulling out a handful of the gold casings. She held them in her hand for a moment before closing her eyes and letting them slowly fall to the table, listening to the sound that they made. When they all settled still, she opened her eyes, looking unsure about what she'd heard. They stood in silence, Sophia looking at Stiles before turning back to the Banshee.

"Lydia, what?" Stiles asked.

"Is he dead?" Sophia asked quietly, leaning her elbows on the table.

"No." Lydia said and Sophia barely avoided letting out a cry of joy. "But I'm not sure he's alive either." She said and Sophia dropped her head onto the table. Scott laid a hand on her back.

"What does that mean?" He asked her.

"I don't know." She answered. "There's something not right. I just… I don't know." Sophia sat up, pushing her hair out of her face before taking a deep breath.

"So if the Calaveras have him, how do we find them?" Stiles asked. Sophia reached out, grabbing one of the bullet casings. She was unaware of the others watching her. She rolled it around in her fingers, looking at it.

"We're going to Mexico." She said to them.

**XXX**

Sophia never thought she would be in Mexico, much less in Mexico looking for her MIA werewolf boyfriend. "Alright, so what's the plan again?" Scott asked everyone.

"We're looking for the Calaveras. They're a Spanish hunter group that have been after Derek. They own a small kind of club where they do business but it also functions as a real club. I was thinking that security is actually pretty heavy inside so if we can get into the club and maybe send Stiles and Lydia inside to meet the head hunter. That way, Scott, Malia, Kira, and I will be ready to help whenever we need to." Sophia explained, laying out the blueprints to the Calaveras hideout on the table.

"Is this plan even going to work?" Stiles asked, wringing his hands together.

"We can hope." Sophia said, crossing her arms. "We need to find Derek. Oh! Here!" Sophia said, reaching down into her bag and pulling out five stacks of money, setting them on the table. The rest of the teens looked at her in shock.

"Where did you get all of that?" Lydia asked.

"How much is it?" Kira asked.

"Fifty thousand." Sophia said, putting her hands on her hips. They all fell silent again. The redhead clapped her hands, causing them all to jump. "Let's do this." She said, moving to her other bag to change into something else.

**XXX**

Sophia couldn't help but smile as she danced. It didn't matter the situation, Sophia loved to be able to dance and let go. Even so, there was still a thought in the back of her mind that she made sure to remember. They were there for Derek. She saw Lydia and Stiles walk in, stopping to take in the sights around them. They moved through the crowd before making their way to the bar, no sooner than they were there, a Hispanic man laid a hand on their shoulders. She knew he was a member of the Calaveras. They talked for a moment before they must've done something right because the man led them through the crowd and into the backrooms.

Sophia glanced behind her when someone put their hands on her hips. She smiled a little, seeing Scott. They had an appearance to keep up so she kept dancing with him.

"Did you see Stiles and Lydia?" He asked, leaning down towards her ear.

"Yeah, they took them into the backroom. Araya is the leader and should be back there." Sophia said, leaning her head on his shoulder so that she could talk into his ear. He nodded his head, nuzzling her cheek for a moment before he let go of her.

"I'm going to go look for Kira." He said and she nodded, watching him move through the crowd. Sophia continued to dance, watching as members of the Calaveras began to move around the club, talking on their radios. Sophia stood on her toes to look around, she easily found Malia dancing with Kira standing in front of her talking. Scott was probably wandering around somewhere. Kira began trying to dance… poorly and uncomfortably. Sophia bit her lip before walking through the crowd, making her way over to the Kitsune and Coyote. Malia was trying not to laugh at the way the other girl was dancing. She looked at Sophia over her shoulder before reaching around her and catching Sophia's arm. Kira jumped and looked behind her when Sophia pushed up against her back, pushing her into Malia. Kira looked between the two of them before relaxing and letting the two of them lead her. The two younger girls lost themselves in dancing while Sophia made sure to keep an eye out for the Calaveras.

"Alright, got the North guard." Scott's voice said in her ear. Sophia had an earpiece that connected her to the other Alpha.

"Okay." She said, smiling softly as she continued to dance. "Tell Stiles to take ten off the table." She said softly. Kira nudged her head forward and Malia turned, a member of the Calaveras coming towards them, a gun drawn. Sophia glanced behind her, a woman there.

"Ready?" Malia asked, loud enough for the kitsune and werewolf could hear. Kira nodded, grabbing a pair of nunchucks out of her jacket. Sophia rolled to the side quickly as Malia and Kira took on the two hunters. Sophia was about to get up when the barrel of a gun was pressed to the back of her head. She glanced at Kira and Malia, both ready to move in an instant but nervous. The man said something to her in Spanish and she began to get up slowly before she reached around, grabbing the gun quickly and turning the man's wrist, breaking it. He released the gun and Sophia elbowed him in the face, knocking him unconscious before he hit the ground. Sophia sighed, nodding her head before looking at the others. Scott had made his way over to the girls and nodded his head. The halls were quiet, no one was following them. Sophia bumped into Malia when Scott stopped them. A smoke was billowing into the hall and a second later, they were being doused with the same smoke.

"Wolfsbane." Sophia said in realization.

"It's wolfsbane!" Scott yelled to the others. "Kira! Get out of here!" Kira was unaffected by the smoke while Sophia, Scott, and Malia fell to their knees, unable to breath. Kira tried to fight the Calavares member that had come down the hall but she was knocked unconscious. Araya walked into the hall, laughing.

"Someone who has been an Alpha only a few months should be more careful when facing a hunter of 40 years." She said to Scott. Sophia turned her eyes red, growling at the woman the best she could without coughing.

"All we want is Derek." Sophia said, her eyes flickering between red and green, unable to hold the basic shift with all of the wolfsbane around them. Araya turned to her.

"My lobita, you're a long way from home." Sophia tried to get up; using the wall for support but her body was weak. She watched Araya's face as she tried to stand before something clicked. Scott apparently noticed it too.

"You don't know where he is either." Scott said to her as Sophia slid down the wall. The smile on Araya's face fell and she reached forward to shock Scott with a similar baton to Argent's. Sophia's roar matched Scott's as she tried to stand again before she was also shocked. Her world went black as she fell onto the ground.

**XXX**

"She's awake." Scott said as he leaned over Sophia. Stiles, Malia, and Kira came over, coming into her line of sight as well.

"You okay Sophie?" Stiles asked and the girl blinked a few times before nodding.

"I think so." She said, trying to sit up before she groaned, prompting Scott and Stiles to gently grab her arms and help her sit up.

"They don't have him." Sophia said softly once she was upright and stable.

"We know, Scott told us. But right now, they've got Lydia." Kira said, drawing the redhead's attention.

"What do they want with Lydia?" Sophia asked, looking at Stiles. He was silent before Sophia tried to stand. Stiles helped her to her feet, letting her lean against him as needed. Scott moved around the room, looking for anyway that could be used as a way out. He made his way over to the only door in the room, trying with all his strength to pull it open. It groaned under the force but it wouldn't budge.

"There isn't another way out?" Sophia asked, beginning to take her own weight.

"We already looked." Kira said.

"I say when that door opens again we take out whoever's standing in the way and run for it." Malia said from where she was leaning against a support pillar.

"What about Lydia?" Kira asked the werecoyote.

"What about her?" Malia asked.

"We're not leaving without her." Scott said, coming back to the others.

"Why not?" She asked and Sophia could tell that she was still having some trouble with the humanlike interactions. Stiles let go of Sophia when he was sure that the she-wolf could stand on his own before he walked over to Malia.

"We don't leave without people. Remember, we talked about this? Rules of the wild kingdom don't apply to friends." He said to her and she dropped her head in defeat.

"Is that would you would do as a coyote, leave her for dead?" Kira asked the girl.

"If she was weak and injured, yeah. If hunting had been bad that season, I would eat her. Then I'd leave." Sophia nodded her head, looking at Stiles.

"She's a keeper." Her best friend gave her a sarcastic smile before scratching his chin.

"Believe it or not, that's progress." Scott caught their attention as he stepped forward.

"Alright guys, we're not dead yet." He said. "And that means Araya wants something."

"But if the Calaveras don't know where Derek is, that means they didn't take him from the loft. Right?" Kira asked.

"Maybe he left on his own." Stiles said and Sophia shook her head.

"Not without telling me." She said, looking over at Stiles.

"Or maybe someone else got to him." Scott said, looking over at Sophia. The doors suddenly opened and five members of the Calaveras came in. Sophia pushed Stiles behind her as her eyes flared red. She didn't get much further than that because they, once again, shocked her into unconsciousness.

**XXX**

When Sophia came back to consciousness, she was sitting in a chair with her arms chained behind her back with a chain running down to the bottom of it. Looking around, she saw that Scott was in a similar position, just with his arms separated to his sides rather than behind him. The door opened and Lydia was pushed into the room and sat down in a chair on the other side of Scott. The redhead also noticed Kira in the corner of the room being pulled over to an electrical box. Scott tried to move but the chains prevented him from doing so.

"Let them go. Look, you've got me." Scott said to Araya.

"Your hand goes here." The man said, putting Kira's hand on the dial. "So, let me explain what's about the happen. This one, the fox, has an immunity to electricity. So she's going to turn the dial on one of the Alphas, which one, we don't know. The current will change directions. If she doesn't, I turn the dial on the Banshee." Sophia pulled harshly against the shackles before settling again.

"No! I'm not doing this." Kira said, trying to pull away from the man. He something in Spanish before putting her hand back on the dial.

"Are you sure?" He asked. "Two of your friends have the power to heal. The other? Not so much." Sophia glanced at each of the teens beside her as she pulled at the shackles again.

"What are you doing? Is this a game to you?" Sophia asked, growling softly.

"This is a test, lobita. Let's see if you pass." Araya said, walking in front of the three tied down Supernatural creatures before stopping in front of the she-wolf. "We're going to ask some questions. You answer them, nobody gets hurt. You don't answer, we turn the dial." Sophia glanced at Scott, the young Alpha nodding at her before she turned her attention to the kitsune, nodding to her.

"Do what they say." Scott said. "Okay? Whatever they want. I can take it. We can take it." He said, glancing at Sophia before looking back at Kira. The she-wolf nodded her head before turning back to Araya.

"So…" The Hispanic woman began. "We don't know where Derek is. We want to find him as well. You know who took him." Sophia's brow furrowed.

"What? You think I know who took my mate and I'm sitting here, chained to a fucking chair and wasting my time with you? Do you realize how ridicules that sounds?" Sophia asked, beginning to pull at the shackles.

"Ah, that's right. You and Derek are _mates._" She said, turning and walking a few steps away before turning back. "Although, that doesn't sound like an answer to me."

"We don't know." Lydia said and Scott shook his head. "She's right, why do you think we came here?" The woman sighed.

"Kira, turn the dial." She said. Kira sniffled and shook her head. "Should we turn the dial on Lydia instead?" Araya asked her.

"No! No!" Scott and Sophia said at the same time, the she-wolf struggling to break the shackles while Scott just made a quick movement.

"Do it Kira." Scott said, looking at her.

"Do it." Sophia said, settling again.

"Let's start at one." Araya said as Kira put her hand on the dial. She nodded softly before turning it to one. Sophia was prepared for the shock (hoping for it actually, if she was shocked it would mean that Scott wasn't getting shocked) but when Scott began groaning and gasping, Sophia knew he was receiving the shock. "Tell me! Who actually has Derek?" Araya asked Scott.

"We don't know!" Sophia yelled to the woman, struggling harder to the point that her wrists were raw and beginning to bleed, she wasn't giving them enough time to heal.

"Who had a reason, a vendetta particular to the Hales?" Araya asked.

"I don't know." Scott said, tired when the shocks stopped.

"You don't know because you haven't figured it out yet." The woman said. "So think!" She pointed to her head. "Who could've taken him?" Scott looked down.

"Tres." The man said from beside Kira. Scott looked over at her, panting.

"It's okay." He said and she nodded, turning up the dial. As prepared as Sophia was the first time, she wasn't prepared for the shock. She threw her head back, growling as she struggled in the shackles. She began gritting her teeth as as all of her muscles clenched with the electricity running through her system.

"Who had the power?" Araya asked. "The power of a shapeshifter?"

"I don't know!" Sophia was able to say through clenched teeth.

"Someone who could have turned without you knowing. Turned but not by a bite."

"I don't know!"

"Diez!" She said and Sophia was pretty sure that as long as the electricity was still flowing to her, if they turned up the dial the new change in current would happen to her as well. "Diez!" She yelled when Kira didn't turn the dial. Sophia screamed as she tried to struggle. The woman moved over to the control box, pushing Kira out of the way before grabbing the dial and turning it up. Sophia screamed again as an even bigger charge came through. Sophia roared, eyes red as she shifted into her beta form, finally breaking the shackles and falling to the side to get away from the electrical current. "Say the name, Sophia." The redhead sat up, leaning against the chair and looking up at the hunter as she let her face shift back to normal.

"Kate Argent."

**XXX**

"So, you're just letting us go?" Scott asked as they followed Araya outside. Sophia was limping slightly, using the younger Alpha to support her weight as they walked.

"I sent four men out to where Kate was rumored to have been seen. None of them came back." Araya stopped and looked the two Alphas up and down. "Let's see if you two can do better."

"You could've just told us she was alive." Sophia said.

"You wouldn't have believed me." The woman said. "And now I know what kind of Alphas you are." Both teens tilted their heads. "And where you next steps lie."

"What next step?" Scott asked, adjusting his arm around Sophia's waist.

"When one of you takes the bite of an innocent, when you make a wolf of your own, when you do that, then, I will cross you border and come knocking at your door." She said seriously before she turned to make her way back inside. Sophia sighed before Scott gently lead her over to the Jeep.

"So, what now?" Stiles asked as he came over, his hands in his jean pockets.

"She thinks she knows where we can find Derek." Scott said to him, gently releasing Sophia to see if she could stand on her own. She nodded and gave him a thumbs up.

"She gonna tell us where?" Malia asked form where she was leaning on the Jeep.

"Actually, she's giving us a guide." Sophia said, loosely crossing her arms over her chest. Stiles' brow furrowed before they turned, hearing a motorcycle approaching. Sophia nodded her head. "Of course." She said, nodding her head. Stiles jumped back when she pulled up beside the Jeep.

"You know her?" Stiles asked.

"Yep." The she-wolf said. "Braeden." The woman removed her helmet, looking at Scott, Stiles, and Sophia before looking at the others.

"Who's Braeden?" Kira asked.

"She's a mercenary." Lydia said, looking unimpressed.

"Right now, the only one that's going to take you to La Iglesia." The woman said.

"The Church?" Lydia asked.

"What's The Church?" Stiles asked.

"It's not a place you'll find God." Braeden said and Sophia nodded her head.

"Not bad." She said as she walked over to Derek's Toyota. The jeep could only hold so many people and when she'd gone to the loft, she'd found the keys sitting in their normal place. She'd thought that it would be a good idea to bring it, just in case they needed it.

**XXX**

They were finally out of the city and on their way. Braedan was leading the way with Sophia behind her with Stiles behind them. Sophia sighed as she watched Braeden. She'd thought they'd gotten rid of Kate when she was buried six feet under. Apparently, the Calaveras switched her body and took her down the Mexico so they could be sure she followed the hunter code and took her own life. She didn't, of course, she was never one for following the rules… the Hale house is a perfect example. Sophia jumped when she heard something from the Jeep behind her. Looking in the rearview mirror, she saw that the Jeep had completely stopped. She stopped the Toyota before slowly turning around to follow Braeden back towards them. Braeden took off her helmet and got off the bike as Sophia got out of the car.

"What happened?" The mercenary asked, like it was something Stiles could have avoided. The Jeep was made in 1980!

"I don't know. It felt like we hit something." Stiles said as he and the others walked around the Jeep, looking for anything.

"We need to get there by night." The older woman said. "It's too dangerous otherwise." Scott looked unsure before looking at Sophia.

"Go ahead." Scott said, motioning for her to go. She shook her head.

"I'll stay with the others. You go with her." Sophia said, kneeling down on the ground to look at the undercarriage of the Jeep.

"No, you need to be the one to find Derek." Scott said and Sophia shook her head.

"Someone needs to find Derek. We'll figure something out. We don't know what's out here Scott, I can't be confident going with her knowing that I left you guys out here." Sophia said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Go." She said, motioning to Braeden. The mercenary turned and got back on her motorcycle, Scott finally gave in, sighing as he began to walk towards her. Kira went after the Alpha calling his name. Stiles popped the hood, looking inside. Scott got on the motorcycle. "Hey, Scott!" Sophia called the boy. He looked at her before he put on the helmet. "Bring him home to me." Scott nodded, putting the helmet on before Braeden took off.

"Stiles." Malia said, catching everyone's attention. She pulled something out from the tire. "I don't think we hit something. I think something hit us." She held up what looked like a bone claw. Stiles held it in his hand, looking at it before handing it to Sophia. She had never seen anything like it.

**XXX**

Sophia leaned against the Jeep's tires. "Maybe we should just walk." Lydia said over her shoulder to Stiles.

"Hey, I will never abandon this Jeep." Stiles said, taking the wrench from his mouth to point it at Lydia. "You understand me? Ever. Ever." Sophia glanced up at him as he worked.

"Work faster, Stiles." Malia said and Sophia stood up, looking around. "There's something out here with us." Stiles looked at Sophia and the woman tilted her head back slightly, scenting the air. She nodded slightly.

**XXX**

When it was officially dark, Kira had gone to the back of the Jeep to get her katana out. Sophia had popped her claws out already; one less step when and if something came after them. "Lydia, could you please hold the light still for a second?" Stiles said to Lydia, who was holding the flashlight for him as he continued to work on the Jeep. "It's really hard to see anything if you keep shaking it like that."

"I'm shaking it like this because we're in the middle of nowhere with your broken down jeep and we're being attacked by yet another razor-clawed monster. And I'm terrified." Banshee said.

"Well, just be slightly less terrified." He said before pulling something out of the Jeep. "And hold this." He said, handing it to Lydia.

"What's this?" She asked, turning it over in her hand.

"I don't know. I'm hoping it's not important." Stiles said, looking at her and the part in her hand before going back to what he was doing. Sophia rolled her eyes, smiling softly as continued to walk around the Jeep.

"Did you see that?" Kira asked and Sophia made her way around the Jeep. Sophia caught something move and Malia immediately growled, eyes and fangs coming out as she ran towards it.

"Malia!" Sophia called after the coyote, her own eyes changing to red and her fangs dropping as she ran after the girl.

"Malia! Sophie!" Kira called after them before she followed them.

"Hey Malia!" Sophia heard Stiles call after the girl but Lydia refused to let him leave as he worked on fixing the Jeep. Sophia had lost track of Malia, her red eyes cutting through the darkness somewhat but not completely. At the last second, something moved behind Sophia and as she turned, she felt a long, painful cut into her side. Sophia gasped as she turned and snarled but whatever it was had disappeared.

"Sophia?" Kira called for the Alpha. Sophia followed the voice, meeting up with the coyote and fox.

"Are you okay?" Kira asked as she Alpha came over, her eyes shifting from red to green again.

"I think so." Sophia said, placing her hand over the wound.

"What is it?" Kira asked.

"I don't know, but it us big and fast and it cuts deep." Sophia finally took in the wound on Malia's side. Sophia moved her shirt to the side and Malia groaned softly, trying to move away from the wolf. They all jumped at a strange noise and then, the next second they realized it was the Jeep. Sophia pushed the two of them towards the Jeep, glancing back into the darkness before following them.

**XXX**

Sophia put the Toyota in park beside the jeep, slipping out carefully to not aggravate the wound on her side. "Stiles." Sophia said, seeing Braeden and Scott pretty much dragging someone out of the Chruch. Sophia ran over but stopped when they got closer, tilting her head and pushing her bangs out of her face.

"Is that him? Is that Derek?" Malia asked, looking between Stiles and Sophia.

"Uh… well…" Sophia began, tilting her head. The man… more of a boy…looked up. It was Derek, Sophia was sure about that but he had been reverted in age, back to the age he was before the fire.

"Sort of." Stiles answered Malia's question. What the hell was going on? What the hell were they going to do now?


	50. 117

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry it took so long, there's been some family things going on and those have been taking up my attention since I've been trying to move my work schedule around. I want to thank you all for being patient and I promise that I will get back to posting at least once a week next weekend! I'm glad you guys like the story! Please don't forget to fave, follow, and review!**

**P.S: Hooray for chapter 50! This is officially the longest story I have ever written and posted! I want to thank everyone for their support on the story! It means so much to me! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

"Come on, come on!" Sophia said, standing by the door of the animal clinic. Scott and Stiles ran back out in the rain and to the Jeep to pull Derek out and carry him inside. Sophia opened the door when they got to her before following them in. Deaton pushed everything off the table as he and Sophia helped to lay Derek flat on the table. Deaton made a noise. "Wow."

"Wow? Wow as in, 'I've seen this before and I know exactly what to do,' kind of wow? Cause that's the kind of wow we were hoping for." Stiles said to the Druid.

"I think you might be overestimating my abilities." Deaton said, turning to the boy. Sophia reached down and grabbed Derek's hand in hers. She remembered holding this hand when she was a child, how it used to engulf hers. Now, they seemed almost the same size. It took a moment to realize something was wrong.

"He's cold." She said, bringing her other hand up to cover the back of his. "Really cold." She said, glancing up at Deaton. The vet grabbed his other hand to check before moving to his face.

"Do you think this is permanent?" Scott asked. Deaton took out a pen light and checked his eyes.

"I'm not sure a medical diagnosis is even adequate. This is well beyond my experience." Deaton said, turning to the teens.

"So what do we do with him?" Stiles asked.

"Until he wakes up?" Deaton questioned. "Probably not much. It might be best to leave him with me. He'll be safe here."

"From Kate?" Sophia asked, her thumb still brushing over the back of Derek's hand.

"If she's alive and she is what you say she is, she won't be able to walk past that gate." Deaton said, looking at Sophia.

"Why would she want to do this to him?" Lydia asked.

"Knowing Kate, it's probably for a reason that won't be good for anyone but her." Deaton answered.

"And bad for everyone else." Stiles said. Deaton glanced at them all and Sophia looked at other three teens. Stiles was rolling his neck and shoulders and Lydia looked exhausted.

"You guys should probably go home." Deaton said to them. "He doesn't look to be in any danger. So maybe the rest of you should get some sleep? It is a school night and you all need to start taking care of your own lives again."

"Someone should stay with you." Scott said, looking up at the vet. Sophia gripped Derek's hand a little tighter.

"You guys go, I'll stay. I still have a couple of weeks before my classes start." Sophia said, looking over at Scott.

"I'm so not okay with this." Stiles said, looking at them and Sophia rolled her eyes, pushing her wet hair back from her forehead..

"All of you…" Sophia said, looking at the three of them before using her free hand to make a shooing motion. "Go home."

"No." Stiles said, shaking his head. Sophia raised an eyebrow at him. Scott looked at the redhead.

"Text us if anything happens." He said and Sophia nodded.

"Of course." She said.

"Nope, still not okay with this." Stiles said before Scott pretty much dragged the other boy out the doors. Lydia following behind after laying a hand on Sophia's shoulder. Sophia offered her a small smile before turning her attention to Derek. She gently cupped his cheek in the hand that wasn't holding his before glancing up at Deaton when the man moved away from them.

**XXX**

Sophia blinked her eyes open, shifting in the chair she sat in. Glancing up, she saw Deaton taking Derek's pulse. "How is he?" She asked, stretching.

"His heart rate is alarmingly high." Sophia stood up and grabbed his hand, rubbing her fingers over the back of it.

"He's a lot warmer now." She said, looking up at Deaton when he turned to her.

"Sophia, I want to try something. Just keep holding his hand, okay?" He said to her and she nodded her head. She watched as Deaton grabbed a scalpel and her eyebrow rose. She watched as Deaton cut his arm with it, the wound healing as quickly as it was made.

"That healed extremely fast." The redhead said, looking up at him.

"Unusually fast." Deaton said back to her.

"What does that mean?" She asked him. The man sighed.

"I'm not sure. Let's try something else." Sophia tilted her head, watching him. "Grab me a five milliliter syringe. Top drawer." Sophia nodded, letting go of Derek's hand to walk over to where Deaton had directed her. Deaton looked through different bottles of medication as Sophia got the syringe and needle ready. Sophia stopped when she heard something. She glanced at Deaton before looking over her shoulder. Derek stood up from the table, taking in some deep breaths.

"Derek…" Sophia asked gently. "Are you alright?" She asked and he looked up at them, his eyes glowing beta blue. Sophia was able to push back the urge to change her own eyes. "Derek…" Sophia said again, just as the beta came towards them. Sophia grabbed Deaton's arm, pushing him slightly behind her. "Derek, babe, relax." She said, holding her hands out in a surrendering motion.

"You're safe now." Deaton said to the beta. He took a step back from them, grasping at his head. Sophia began to edge closer to him, thinking he was not going to do anything when he swings out his arm, his claws slashing across her face and knocking her to the ground. She groaned in pain as she tried to sit up, Deaton was by her side in an instant as Derek ran out of the room.

"I'm going to kill him." Sophia mumbled as she groaned. "Or claw his face… whatever comes first." She leaned her head back against the floor. "Call Scott, Stiles, and Lydia?" She asked and the man nodded, moving to get his phone.

**XXX**

"I don't think he's just younger in body." Deaton said as he gently dabbed at Sophia's wounded face. "I think he's younger in mind too." She glanced out the corner of her eyes at Scott, Lydia, and Stiles who had come from school to the clinic.

"If my face has anything to say about it." Sophia said softly, trying not to move away from Deaton. "He didn't recognize me or Deaton." She winced when the man hit a sensitive spot. "He looked scared out of his mind though." She slid from the exam table when he was done.

"So if you're a teenage werewolf and you're scared, where do you go?" Stiles asked everyone.

"A wolf goes back to its den but Derek lives in the loft." Scott said.

"At this age, the loft was never even a thought." Sophia said, leaning back against the table.

"The Hale House." Lydia said when she came in.

"He wouldn't know about the fire. It wouldn't have happened yet." Deaton said to them.

"The only problem is that the county took it over and they were planning on tearing it down." Sophia said, crossing her arms. "Well, let's go." The redhead righted herself and began to make her way towards the door to head outside to get into the Toyota.

"Hold on. Say you catch up to him. What are you going to say?" Lydia asked. "That his whole family is dead?" Sophia looked between Scott and Stiles.

"I guess I'm going to have to. Derek should remember me; I was around before the fire." She said, crossing her arms.

"You were a child yourself; Derek would have never seen you grown." Deaton said and Sophia nodded her head, he had a point.

"Good luck." Lydia said sarcastically.

"She's probably right. Maybe we shouldn't." Stiles said, looking at the two Alphas. "You know, at least until we figure out how to get him back to normal."

"I can't lie to him." Sophia said, shaking her head.

"Okay, I'll do it." Stiles said.

"I don't think any of us can." Scott said as he looked between all of them. "Remember, he can hear a heartbeat rising."

"Unless you know how to keep it steady." Sophia said, glancing at the boy.

"Do you?" Stiles asked and Sophia shrugged softly.

"I've practiced a little bit but it's hard to force something like that." He nodded as he licked his lips.

"When we find him, we have to tell him the truth." Scott said, looking at Sophia and she nodded.

"If he gets to the house first, you won't have to." Deaton said and Sophia realized that he was right.

**XXX**

Sophia grunted when Stiles slammed into her from behind, knocking her into the doorway of the Sheriff's Department. Luckily, all of the scratches on her face have healed so she could actually walk around without looking like she was just attacked by an animal. Stiles waved briefly as Sophia pushed him off of her slightly. John said something to Parrish and another deputy before motioning for the three of them to follow him. Once they were in his office, he shut the door behind him and leaned against his desk, looking at the teens.

"I want you to be honest with me. Absolutely and completely honest." Sophia nodded her head at his request, Scott made a motion with his hand, and Stiles remained perfectly still except for his fingers drumming on his hand. "Have you been time traveling?" Sophia blinked in surprise.

"Hang on, what?" Stiles asked his father.

"Because if time traveling is real, you know what? I'm done. I'm out. You're going to be driving me to Eichen House." The man said.

"We found him like that." Scott said and Sophia elbowed him in the ribs.

"Where? Swimming in the fountain of youth?" John asked.

"No! We found him buried in a tomb of wolfsbane hidden in an Aztec temple in Mexico underneath a church in the middle of a town that was destroyed by an earthquake." Stiles said slowly and Sophia wanted to bash her head in a door. It might be less painful than the conversation they were having. Scott looked like he agreed with her.

"You told me you were camping!" John said.

"Yeah, we were… in Mexico." Stiles said, pointing down. Sophia stepped forward, gaining the Sheriff's attention.

"Derek's been aged backwards. He can't remember anything. We just need to talk to him." She said hopeful. John sighed and leaned against his desk again.

"Yeah, well… he's not talking to anyone." He said and Sophia turned, looking at her boyfriend through the glass.

"He'll talk to me." She said, stepping towards the door and opening it. Derek glanced up at her before looking back at the ground. Sophia came to stand in front of him. "Derek? I'm Sophia." She said and he looked up at her, scrutinizing her. "I need you to come with me and my friends." She said, motioning over to Scott and Stiles.

"Why would I go anywhere with you?" He asked, leaning back and looking up at the girl. She licked her lips.

"There was an accident and you lost some memories but we can help you get them back." She said gently, wanting to kneel down to his level but not too keen and getting close to those claws anytime soon.

"How much memory?" He asked her.

"A lot… but you can trust us." She said but he looked up at her unsure. She took in a deep breath, kneeling down in front of him and brushing her hair over her right shoulder. She closed her eyes before reopening them, letting them shine Alpha red for him to see.

"You're an Alpha." He said surprised. "Who are you?" He asked, Sophia blinked a couple of times, letting her eyes change back to normal. "And who are they? Who are you?" Derek said, looking from her to Scott and Stiles. Stiles turned to them; his attention was on something else.

"Oh, we're the ones keeping you out of jail." Stiles said and Sophia rolled her eyes.

"Please let us help you." Sophia said but Derek shook his head, leaning away from the girl.

"No." He said simply.

"Okay, dude, you almost tore apart two cops back there." Stiles said softly. "You need to listen to us. That means no claws, no fangs, no wolfman. You got that?" Stiles listed.

"I'm fine as long as it's not on a full moon." Derek said.

"You still have trouble on the full moons?" Scott asked.

"I said I'm fine." Derek said, looking back at him before turning to Sophia. Stiles stood up from the desk.

"Alright, you coming with us or not?" He asked.

"You want me to trust you? Where's my family?" Derek asked and Sophia glanced at Scott and Stiles. They looked back at her but didn't say anything. She took in a deep breath, standing up.

"There was a fire, Derek." She said softly, watching as the boy's eyes filled with tears. "They're not here anymore, they're fine." She could almost feel the looks she was getting from Stiles and Scott but she didn't care. She didn't like seeing Derek cry as a 24 year old, what made them think she could handle him as a sixteen year old. "They just had to move out of Beacon Hills. I promise, we're going to take you to them as soon as we figure out how to get your memories back." The boy nodded.

"Okay." He said.

**XXX**

"Well… I just lied my ass off." Sophia said, leaning against the front desk in between Stiles and Scott.

"Hey, your ass is fine." Stiles said, leaning a little closer to her. She glanced at him, a small smile on her face before she turned back to Derek. "You saved him a ton of unnecessary pain. We'll figure this out in a day or two, he goes back to being old Derek and everybody goes back to being happy. Except for Derek who's never happy." Sophia raised an eyebrow at him.

"He's happy when he's with me… just not right now." She said sighing.

"He's just another person that we're lying to." Scott said to them. "I always feel like it's always been better when we tell the truth."

"It's not always better." Sophia said tapping a finger on the desk. "Alright. I'm taking him back to my place; you guys go figure something out. Talk to whoever you have to but make it quick."

"Got it." Both boys said as they left. She turned and smiled at Derek when he came over.

"Hey, so I figured we could go to my house until Scott and Stiles get back. They're going to talk to someone who they think can help." She said as she laid a hand on Derek's back, leading him outside.

"Okay." He said quietly, letting her lead him over to the Camaro. With everything going on, Sophia still hadn't had time to switch out the cars yet but hopefully, something familiar might jog his memory. "Nice car." He said as he got into the passenger seat, looking around inside.

"Thanks." She said, getting inside and buckling her seatbelt. "I borrowed it from a friend." She offered him a smile before starting up the engine and heading to her place, luckily her parents were at work so she wouldn't have to explain anything to them yet.

**XXX**

"We're just gonna hang here." Sophia said as she opened the door to her house. She let Derek come in after her before closing it. "Just to two of us and we're not going to talk to anyone, okay?" Sophia said, walking backwards as she spoke.

"Are we going to him?" Derek said, pointing to someone behind her. She turned quickly, squeaking when she saw her grandfather there.

"Grandpa?" She asked. "What are you doing here?" She gave the man a hug.

"Well," he began, pulling away. "Your mother said I could stop by at any time and I was in town so I decided to pop in." Sophia raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I missed your graduation and I wanted to visit, to surprise you." Sophia chuckled.

"Well consider me surprised." She said.

"Who is this handsome young boy?" He asked, motioning to Derek. She turned, taking a few steps back to put a hand on Derek's shoulder.

"This is… Miguel." Flashbacks to Derek in Stiles' room with Danny went through her head. She bit her lip to contain the smile. "His name is Miguel and he's a senior that I'm tutor from Beacon Hills High. You know, it's a good job to have while waiting for my classes to start." Her grandfather nodded, holding out his hand to him.

"I'm Albert but you can call me Al." Derek shook his hand and her grandfather made a noise. "Strong grip you have there, son." Sophia glared at Derek, her eyes flashing briefly. She was a little surprised to see Derek's flash back. They both turned their attention to her grandfather as he made his way back into the kitchen. "You kids hungry? I make a mean shrimp and broccoli Alfredo."

"Sure, I'm starving." Derek said with a smile as he made his way into the kitchen. Sophia sighed. He was always a sucker for anything with shrimp in it. She closed her eyes briefly before making her way into the kitchen as well.

**XXX**

Dinner seemed longer than usual and involved a lot of lies on Sophia's part. Although, Derek did sit silently and let her talk. When both were eating, her father took his dishes into the kitchen. She pointed towards the stairs, having an eye argument with Derek over whether or not he was going up there. A flash of her Alpha eyes made the decision clear. With a sigh, she brushed her hair over her shoulders before making her way into the kitchen with some more plates.

"He seems like a nice young man." Her grandfather said as she placed the plates in the sink.

"He's very nice." She said, offering him a smile. He looked at her expectantly. "No grandpa, he's too young for me." Sophia kept her gaze on the sink as she said that, it seemed weird. She turned back to her grandfather when he scoffed at her.

"Nonsense, I was fifteen years older than my first wife." Sophia chuckled; she'd heard the first wife story so many times. "Whatever happened to that Hale boy though?" He asked and Sophia nearly dropped the cup she was holding into the sink. She wasn't sure if Derek could hear them or not.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"The boy you were so close with before the fire. It's a shame what happened to the Hales. I knew many of them well." He said, looking upset. She didn't have to train her ears to hear Derek going up the stairs. He'd been there the entire time. She swallowed around the lump in her throat.

"He had to move grandpa. I don't blame him." She glanced at her phone. "I have to go. Miguel has to be home soon so I better teach him something." The man chuckled.

"Of course, sweetheart. Go ahead." Sophia nodded, offering the man a smile as she made her way up the stairs. She waited until she was out of sight before sprinting up the rest of the way. She made her way down the hall to her room, managing to stifle the squeak that rose into her throat when she was pushed against the closed door. She gasped as a hand wrapped around her throat.

"I'm sorry." She said, putting a hand on his wrist and easily pulling it away. Perks of being an Alpha. "I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid to hurt you."

"He was talking about me wasn't he?" Derek asked. "The one you were close to. It was me." She clenched her jaw. "What the hell is going on? Where are Scott and Stiles? I want some answers." She managed to relax her jaw.

"And you'll get them, I promise." She answered. She reached for her phone, sighing when she realized that she had left it downstairs. "I left my phone downstairs. I have to go get it so I can call Scott and Stiles. You're going to stay here and don't move. Alright?" She asked, before making her way back down the stairs.

**XXX**

"No, everything's good. He knows about the fire now so there's that but he's in my room." Sophia said as she walked down the hall. "I mean, I like that I don't have to lie to him but I wish he was the old Derek again." She listened to Scott tell her about what Peter said, about Derek being at an age where he still knew and trusted Kate. "Okay, I'll keep an eye out for…" She paused when she saw someone going out her window. She shifted when she saw that it was Kate. The woman smirked at her before she jumped off the edge. She could hear Scott calling her over the phone and it was in that moment that she realized that she was growling. "We might have a problem." She said, shifting back to normal as she turned to make her way outside.

**XXX**

"What?" Sophia said into the phone as she drove towards the loft.

'_Oh Alpha, my Alpha. I come bearing news.' _Peter's voice said through the speaker. As much as it killed Sophia sometimes, not only had she taken Derek as a beta but Peter had somehow wormed his way into her pack as well. He didn't want to be an omega and he made sure that he wasn't.

"And what would that be Peter, we don't have time for games."She said, stopping at a red light.

'_I know where Kate and Derek are going.' _He said and she froze, looking at the phone before putting it back up to her ear.

"Where?" She asked.

'_Do you remember when you were nine and I took you to the vault.' _He said and Sophia nodded immediately, turning down a side road so that she could turn around.

"Is that where she's taking him? The Hale Vault?" She asked as she got back onto the main road, pushing the gas pedal down.

'_I believe so. I think she is after the Triskelion to help her learn to control her shift. She attacked a gas station attendant but she has no control.'_ He said and Sophia made a noise_. 'How long before you're there?' _He asked and Sophia caught a road sign.

"A few minutes but I'll be there soon." She said, adjusting her phone against her ear.

'_See you soon Little one.' _Peter said before he hung up. Sophia rolled her eyes before putting the phone on the passenger seat. It only took her two more minutes before she was pulling into the parking lot. As soon as she was out of the car she was met by Scott, Peter, and Malia.

"Come on." Peter said, leading them deeper into the school. They were almost there when Malia stopped and turned around.

"Did you catch a scent?" Scott asked.

"It's the same one. The same one as Mexico." Malia said, looking around.

"The thing that attacked us?" Sophia asked, coming to stand by the girl. She nodded her head. Sophia raised her nose to the wind slightly, catching the scent as well.

"What are they talking about?" Peter asked Scott.

"One of them was after us in the Church ruins." Scott said.

"And one on the road." Malia said as she came back over to them. "They couldn't have followed us here." Sophia blinked, maybe they didn't.

"What if Kate brought them?" Sophia said, looking up at them. The same growling sound came through and Peter groaned softly.

"Oh, I've heard that sound before. Did it have an animal skull?" He asked them. "A human wearing a skill over its face?"

"I think so." Malia answered.

"Peter, what are they?" Sophia asked, letting a bit of the Alpha voice come through. Sophia turned when she heard the footsteps coming towards them.

"Berserkers." He said when they'd both caught sight of it. It was massive for a human. Malia and Sophia began growling, getting ready to go after it when Peter grabbed them both, holding them back. "Are you crazy?" He asked and Sophia snatched her arm back.

"It's just one of them." Malia said, still ready to go.

"And that means we have a chance." Peter said.

"To beat him?" Malia asked confidently.

"To survive." Peter said before running in the opposite direction. Sophia looked at them.

"I don't know about you but if Peter's running, I'm running." Sophia said, turning and following her beta up the steps. She could hear Scott, Malia, and the Berserker behind them. Peter stopped quickly, grabbing Sophia's wrist before taking her in the direction of the vault. Sophia panted slightly as they came to the entrance.

"This is it." Peter said. Sophia nodded her head, steadying herself before following Peter down.

"It doesn't look like much." Kate's voice said.

"That's cause it isn't." Peter said as he walked down the steps. "Quite the elaborate scheme you have here, Kate." Sophia followed behind him, her eyes landing on Derek and staying there. "Two countries, Aztec temples, Derek returned to a teenager. One that trusted you. One that loved you." Sophia growled at that, causing Kate and Derek to turn towards her. "All this complication just to gain access to our vault." Peter said, expanding his arms to the room around him. Sophia watched Peter carefully before turning her attention to Derek. He was watching her as carefully as she was watching Peter. "All just to get your hands on a little piece of junk. Turn it over. Go ahead. There's a scrape on the back where it used to say _Made in China._"

"You're lying." Kate said to him.

"I admit I have a tendency to exaggerate thing. But in this case the truth is so much more fun. Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart, that little pendant is just a physical object to focus on. It's training wheels. Talia used it to teach Laura and tried to use it to teach Derek." A roar filled the air, Scott's roar. Sophia's eyes flashed before she turned to Derek again.

"Is this real? Tell me if this is real?" Kate said, grabbing Derek by the back of his neck. Sophia growled, taking a step closer when Peter glanced at her, shaking his head softly.

"Didn't you hear that? That was Scott." Derek tried to tell Kate.

"Tell me!" Kate yelled at him and Sophia stepped forward, grabbing Derek's arm to pull him away from her, pulling her lips back in a silent snarl. Derek pulled away from her, taking off up the stairs. Sophia stepped backwards towards Peter.

"Go after him." He said, glancing at the Alpha. She glanced up at him before turning back to Kate.

"If I leave, I expect her to be six feet under and to stay there. Or I'll put you there." She said, growling at Peter and flashing her eyes. It was very subtle but he tilted his head away and turned his eyes back to Kate. She nodded, running up the stairs after Derek. As Sophia ran, she heard a screech. She couldn't place where it came from or what it belong to but as quickly as it began, it ended. She followed the scent of Scott, sliding to a stop when she came to the top of the stairs. Scott, Malia, and Kira were lying on the ground, looking at something to her left. Following their gaze, she saw Derek standing there. Only this time, he was taller and broader than before.

"Derek?" Scott called softly. Slowly, he turned towards them. If his size wasn't enough to give away the fact that he had returned to normal, than the thick scruff adorning his face was a dead giveaway. He looked up at them, his green eyes changing to yellow. Sophia's eyes flashed back immediately even though it took her brain a moment to realize that his eyes were not electric blue as they were before he was de-aged. She slowly walked over, Derek's eyes moving from Scott to her.

"Sophia…"He said softly and she jogged the last few steps, jumped into him and wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. His strong arms wrapped around her waist, nuzzling into her neck. She could hear and feel him taking in deep breaths, breathing in her scent just as she was doing to him. There were so many questions flying around in her head but right now, she just wanted to enjoy having Derek in her arms once again.


	51. Muted

**A/N: I'm SO SO sorry about how late this is guys! Things just spiraled out of control with life and my motivation took a dive. I'm hoping to start posting once a week again for all of my stories. Again, I'm sorry. I want to thank everyone who reads and posts comments, you guys really help motivate me to try and continue writing even when I don't want to because it usually gets me back into the writing mood, so thank you all!**

**I hope you all like this chapter and please don't forget to fave, follow, and review! It would mean a lot! Also, if you haven't voted on the poll on my profile about what will happen to Sophia in later chapters, please do! It would help me set up the rest of the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Sophia Markus!**

**XXX**

Sophia glanced at the woman across from her. Braeden shifted before putting her feet up onto the coffee table, waiting for one of the three werewolves to speak. The plan was to use her to find Kate. Peter looked from the woman's face to her boots on the table before back again.

"The table's Italian." Peter said, unimpressed.

"So are these boots." She said, looking from her boots to Peter. Sophia turned her head towards Derek and bit her lip to keep from laughing. Derek cracked a smile at the comment. "Are we going to talk interior design and fashion or are we going to talk numbers?" She asked, looking at the three seriously. Sophia turned back towards the woman. Peter glanced at the two beside him before turning back to the woman, sighing as he did so. Derek was holding a pair of sunglasses in his hands, looking at his reflection. Sophia was pretty sure they were the sunglasses that belong to Deucalion but she couldn't be sure. Now that the Alpha was gone, she didn't want to think about him again.

She turned her attention back to Peter as he wrote the amount of money they were willing to pay Braeden to find Kate. He shifted the paper to Sophia briefly. The gesture surprised her but she was able to keep her face neutral, it was probably something to do with her being the Alpha. She made a small noise of acknowledgement before Peter slid the paper over to Braeden. She looked at it, glancing between Sophia and Peter before picking up the pen and crossing out their price. She wrote a counter to it before sliding it back over to the man. He grabbed the paper and turning it so that he could read the number correctly. Sophia leaned over his shoulder so that she could see what the woman had written.

"We're hiring you to find Kate, not assassinate the president." He said, looking up at the woman. Sophia chuckled softly. Derek finally looked up, looking between Peter and Braeden.

"I was hired by the Calaveras to find Kate. You're hiring me to find her first; going against the Calaveras is what's going to cost you." Braeden said as if they should have already known that. The Alpha reached over Peter's arm, grabbing the paper and pen, writing her own counter number to the ones already there. She slid the paper over to Braeden; she could hear Peter exhale sharply when he saw the number that she had written. She pushed her hair over her shoulder as she leaned back to sit comfortably on the couch. The woman didn't even look at the number before she pushed the paper back towards the she-wolf, keeping her eyes locked on Sophia. Peter scoffs, throwing his arms in the air as he stood up from the couch and walked away. Derek reached over Sophia, grabbing the paper and ripping it up.

"We'll pay." Derek said, causing Sophia to turn to him. She could hear Peter stop his walking to turn as well. "Just find Kate. That's all we want." Braeden studied him for a moment before she stood, nodding her head.

"No promises." She said as she grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair and made her way out of the loft. Peter walked behind her, at a distance, so that he could close the loft's door when she had left. The room was silent as Peter slammed the door shut. Derek stood, walking over to the table in front of the windows. Sophia watched him before she stood and followed him, pulling herself up to sit on the table next to him.

"Are you insane?!" Peter yelled to his nephew.

"And it begins…" Sophia mumbled under her breath as she turned her attention to Peter.

"We didn't have a choice." Derek said in a surprisingly soft voice. "We spent a week looking for her and came up with nothing." His voice grew in intensity.

"If we don't find out who told Kate about the vault, we don't get those bonds back. What do you think I'm going to do then, huh? Get a job? My resume is slightly out of date." Sophia watched Peter make his way closer and closer towards the pair. "We got robbed, Derek. Robbed!" Peter grabbed Derek's shoulder. Before Sophia could 'reprimand' Peter (like an Alpha should, especially when the Alpha's mate is involved) Derek grabbed his wrist and spun around, snarling in Peter's face. Sophia could see that it wasn't just a fluke, his blue eyes now glow a bright yellow. Peter looked shocked.

"Oh, that's a new look for you…" He said, taking in the new eye color. Derek pulled his arm away from his uncle. Sophia slipped off the table, walking in between Peter and Derek. "What happened to your eyes?" Peter asked him.

"I don't know…" Derek said, looking at the ground before turning his attention to Peter. "But I'm willing to pay to find out." Sophia placed a gentle hand on his shoulder before she looked at her watch.

"Hey, I got to get going." She said, turning towards Derek's bed, where her bag was sitting.

"Where?" Peter asked, watching the Alpha grab her stuff, slinging her strap over her shoulder.

"I got a job." She said with a smile.

"That's great." Derek said, letting some of the tension bleed out of his body as he hugged Sophia, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "What kind of job is it?" He asked and Sophia smiled slightly.

"Well…" She said playfully.

**XXX**

"What the hell is that?" Sophia asked herself as she walked around the outside of the field, keeping track of everyone that would possibly make the team. It was just morning practice but if she could see them playing without the stress of try-outs, she might be able to pick some good players out of the bunch.

"Sophia?" She turned her head to see Scott and Stiles standing off to the side.

"Hey guys." She said, writing their names on the list quickly. She wasn't really sure if they were going to show up with all of the craziness that had been going on.

"What are you doing here?" Stiles asked as they walked over to her.

"Well, apparently, the school board has been on the principle's ass about hiring some new staff members and since Finstock is… Finstock, they wanted an assistant coach. Finstock asked me to do it so I sent in my resume but it helped that I was one of the best players during my time." She winked at Scott, who rolled his eyes. "They said I got the job and so, here I am. I figured watching morning try-outs would be a good way to see everyone who is possibly going to come to try-outs this afternoon."

"Awesome, maybe now we can get some real pep talks." Stiles said with a smile. Sophia chuckled.

"Don't hold your breath on that one." They all chuckled.

"Who is that?" Scott asked, motioning to the boy that was in the goal. He was catching everything thrown at him without missing a beat.

"Liam Dunbar. Transfer student." She wrote something down before looking at the two of them. "You might want to go get started." They nodded their heads as they made their way onto the field. She shook her head before turning her attention to some of the other boys running around practicing.

**XXX**

Sophia sat at Finstock's desk in the locker room, the door open so that she could hear everyone moving around and talking. She had seen a lot of good players and it was going to make choosing the new team difficult. She leaned back in her chair, sighing as she pulled her hair out of its ponytail. She trained her ears for a moment, trying to locate Scott and Stiles.

"I transferred from Devonford Prep." Liam said to someone and, even with all of the noise around him, Sophia could hear the blip in his heartbeat.

"You transferred?" She heard Scott asked. Liam confirmed it, his heartrate kicking up a notch. Sophia sighed before standing up, making her way towards them. "No, you got kicked out, didn't you?"

"Alright, look. Kicked out or transferred, what do you guys care?" Liam asked the two of them. "I came here to play Lacrosse. The team could use a few good players, right?"

"No. No, we don't need any more good players." Stiles said as Sophia made her way closer. She put a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump and turn towards her quickly. He exhaled, glaring at her. She smiled back before turning back to Scott and Liam.

"Actually, we could sort of use a couple. Since Sophia and Danny graduated." Stiles turned his glare to his other best friend before turning his attention to Liam.

"How'd you get this good? Have you always been this good? Or did it suddenly happen just once over night?" Stiles said to the younger boy quickly, causing Sophia and Scott to turn to him. "Have you ever been out in the middle of the woods during the night of a full…" Sophia reached up and grabbed Stiles by the back of the neck, squeezing enough that the boy let out a yelp. Liam glanced between the three of them.

"Look, I learned from my stepfather, alright. He made team captain when he was a sophomore. Like you." He said to Scott. "And yeah." He said turning his attention to Stiles briefly before grabbing his stuff out of his locker, turning back to the older boy when he had it all. "I guess I'm just that good." He said before walking out of locker room. Sophia let her hand slide away from Stiles' neck before putting her hands on her hips. The human rubbed the back of his neck before stepping closer to Scott.

"He wasn't lying that time." The Alpha said with a smile on his face.

"I love you both but you cannot torture that boy. We need him on the team. Like Scott said, since Danny and I left, the team is severely lacking." She glanced down at her watch, waving her hand towards the door. "Go to class. I'll see you both later." She said. They both smiled at her.

"Bye Sophie!" They said at the same time. She rolled her eyes once more before walking into the office and sitting back down in the chair, returning to her notes.

**XXX**

Finstock had showed up about midday with, what he said was a pounding headache. Sophia just nodded along until he asked about the morning workouts. Sophia handed over her notes, telling him what she saw and what she thought. He made noises of agreement or disagreement and verbally agreed with some things. It made Sophia think that she could actually do the job.

"Did you bring your Lacrosse gear?" Finstock asked her when he returned from getting his lunch. Sophia looked over at him, shaking her head softly.

"No…" She said, unsure.

"You should have. I might need you to whip these losers into shape." He said before taking a bite of his food. She nodded her head, pulling out her phone.

_**To Big Bad (12:15 pm)**_

_**You're still bringing me lunch, right?**_

She set her phone down on the desk while she waited for a reply. She was reading over some paperwork that would allow her to be a tutor as well. Her assistant coach job was a paying one but they would pay her more to be a tutor and being a tutor could get her a small substitute position that would allow her to get paid more money. It seemed like a good position. She grabbed her phone when it vibrated.

_**From Big Bad (12:17 pm)**_

_**That was the plan. Why?**_

_**To Big Bad (12:18 pm)**_

_**I need my Lacrosse gear too. My pads and stick. If you could bring those too that would be so helpful.**_

The bell that signaled lunch rang and, out of habit, she almost stood up. She sat back down with a slight chuckle before her phone vibrated again.

_**From Big Bad (12:21 pm)**_

_**Getting ready to leave now. I got everything. Are you just going to meet me in the parking lot?**_

She smiled before typing her reply.

_**To Big Bad (12:21 pm)**_

_**Yeah, I can do that. See you when you get here.**_

She locked her phone again before standing up. Finstock looked up at her. "I'm going to go get lunch and my Lacrosse stuff; I have someone bringing them to me." He nodded his head before going back to his food. She walked through the empty halls to the front door, sitting on the steps while she waited for Derek. About five minutes later, the Toyota pulled up. She stood and smiled as Derek got out of the driver's seat, before she heard the back pop open. She followed him around, smiling up at him when they met at the back.

"Hey." She said and he smiled back.

"Hey." He pecked her on the lips before pulling away and opening the back up. He handed her the bag of lunch that he'd brought before holding out her Lacrosse duffle bag. She glanced up at him. She was sure that she'd emptied the bag upon the final game of last year, meaning that it wouldn't have been full.

"Did you pack my Lacrosse bag?" She asked, taking it from his outstretched hand and putting the strap over her shoulder. He shrugged his shoulders lightly.

"You said to bring your Lacrosse stuff." He closed the trunk.

"I meant just my stick and helmet. Not that I'm complaining, I'm just surprised you were willing to look hard enough to find everything." He offered her another smile.

"Anything I can do to help." He bowed to her playfully and she rolled her eyes, chuckling. He was making an indirect reference to the fact that she was his Alpha.

"Whatever."

"You should head back inside and eat. Lunch'll be over soon if they never changed the schedule from when I was in school." She chuckled.

"You make it sound like you went to school fifty years ago. It's only slightly longer now so I have plenty of time." He nodded, gently putting a hand on her hip to bring her closer. She went easily, allowing the Beta to do as he wanted. He leaned down, pressing a more forceful kiss to her lips than their first one was.

"Go get to work. You have to provide for your mate." She raised a playful eyebrow as she ran her fingers through the short hair at the nape of Derek's neck.

"I'm pretty sure you're still the big, strong man in this relationship." He laughed as he pulled away from her.

"I guess you're right." She offered him a smile.

"Go back to whatever it is that you do while we're all at school." She said, slowly making her way up the steps back towards the main doors.

"But I just wait for you to get home." Derek gave her the puppy eyes over the top of the Toyota. She rolled her eyes with a chuckle and a smile.

"Go home. I'll be home after practice this afternoon." He chuckled as he opened the door.

"Alright, I'll see you then." She smiled as she turned completely and made her way inside, listening to the sounds of the Toyota start and drive away.

**XXX**

Finstock blew his whistle as he came out of his office, Sophia right behind him. She shook her head slightly, her ears ringing from the whistle.

"As a reminder, it's an open tryout today. All positions available. This is a rebuilding season, people. Jackson's gone, Lahey's gone, Danny's gone, and Sophia's kinda gone." He looked over at her and she smiled and waved. She was in a tank top, a pair of leggings, and her cleats, holding her lacrosse gloves and stick. As soon as she walked back into Finstock's office with her lunch and Lacrosse equipment he told her that she was going to be actively helping with try outs by being on the field so she needed to be ready. "Greenberg, the one guy I actually wanted gone… was held back. Again."

"Get your asses on the field." Sophia said to them and the boys grabbed their things, making their way outside. She patted Scott on the shoulder as she walked by him, she knew he was going to ask Coach if he was still Captain but he did say open tryouts. When everything started, Sophia realized how much she loved not having to worry about trying out. She got to coach them now; she got to be a little evil. She smiled at Kira and Malia when she saw them sit down to watch. Sophia's eyes flittered around the field, there were some guys doing a little bit of everything. Coach blew his whistle, drawing Sophia's attention as the guys that were running laps ran past them.

"Terrible. Horrifying. Pathetic. Unbelievably pathetic. Is that everyone?" Coach said and Sophia tried not to laugh when Stiles came up to them, panting and looking like he was getting ready to pass out at any moment. He fell to the ground.

"Yep, that's everyone." Sophia said, watching as Scott came over to help Stiles up. Sophia turned to look at the other boys. They were all exhausted, sitting on the ground to catch their breath, while Liam was doing push-ups.

"Is he even human? What is he, like a were-cheetah?" She heard Stiles ask Scott and she couldn't help the small laugh that bubbled out of her. "Does it even exist? Is that a thing?"

"I think he's just that good." Scott replied.

"I'm gonna puke, take me somewhere." Stiles said again.

"Okay, come on." Scott said, almost dragging Stiles along. Sophia smiled, shaking her head at them. Once all of the boys had time to recuperate and relax, Finstock explained that they were doing goal exercises before throwing Sophia the goalie stick.

"You're goal." He said and Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"You do know I don't actually play anymore, right?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yeah, just go out there." She shook her head and grabbed her helmet from the bench behind her, slipping it on as she made her way onto the field and into the goal.

Stiles was up first, he tried to get the ball into the net by just using the stick before he gave up and put it in using his hand. She could hear the rest of the team laughing quietly at him. Stiles licked his lips before throwing the ball at her with everything he had. She didn't even have to use any wolf powers (or any real movement at all) because the ball landed right in her net. She looked up at it before looking at Stiles.

"Really Stiles?" She asked loud enough for him to hear over the laughter of the others and he made a face at her. "Don't give me that face; you threw it directly into my net." She rolled her eyes before reeling back and throwing it back towards him. He turned and walked to the back of the line with Scott. Liam was next in the line. She watched as she rolled the ball into the net before getting ready. She smirked at Sophia as she adjusted her stance. She was trying to give everyone a fair shot and that meant no wolf powers on her part. Liam threw the ball and managed to get it passed her, landing it in the net in the upper left corner. She could hear people cheering around her for Liam. Turning back, the boy was smirking, spinning his net in his hands. Sophia growled under her breath, eyes flashing red briefly. Being cocky was something Sophia hated. She took in a deep breath, dealing with a few more boys before it was Scott's turn. Sophia smirked and lowered her stance once again. She wasn't sure if he was going to use any wolf powers or not so she had to be prepared for anything. Sophia moved to spot the ball, only to hear the sound of it colliding with the side of the net. Again, the boys behind him laughed. Sophia groaned, leaning her head back. She looked back at him and he shrugged lightly.

"Nice, McCall!" Garrett said to the boy.

"Hey, Garrett…" Stiles said, gaining the boy's attention. "Shut up!" He said and Sophia laughed.

**XXX**

Not using her wolf powers put a little kink in the plan. Most of the other players, she was able to stop without them or sometimes she would let them get one through, you know, to boost their confidence. That Liam kid though… he kept catching her just a second too slow. Scott and Stiles both kept missing their goals, whether that meant completely missing the goal, hitting the edge of it, or going directly into Sophia's net. Sophia turned to Finstock and held up the 'one second' finger gesture before jogging over to Scott and Stiles. She grabbed both of their arms, pulling them a little away from the group.

"What the hell?" She asked, looking at the both of them.

"I don't know. I'm having a really off day." Scott said to her.

"Off day?! Is that what we're calling that? You're dying out here!" She said, pointing to the goal. "I mean, Stiles I expect but you?"

"Hey!" The other boy said from beside her.

"No offense." She offered as an afterthought before turning back to Scott.

"Dude, I feel actual physical pain watching you." Stiles said, turning his attention back to the werewolf.

"I didn't see you make any shots." Scott said accusingly.

"Yes, that is because I'm terrible, though, Scott." Stiles said and Sophia nodded softly. "You… You are the Alpha."

"Not on the field. I'm a human on the field." Scott said.

"Yeah, well, human you is sucking at the moment." Sophia said to him. "Is there any way you could use just a little bit of wolf power?" Scott exhales.

"It's cheating." He said.

"I know it is!" Stiles and Sophia said at the same time.

"It's just… I hate seeing this little freshman come in and steal all your glory after you worked your tushie off. I hate it." Stiles continued. Sophia blinked and looked at the human.

"Tushie?" She asked.

"He's not going to steal all the glory." Scott said before Liam began getting praised by the other team members again for making a goal with a new goalie. Sophia glanced at the other Alpha, watching as his eyes began to glow red.

"That's what I'm talking about." Sophia said, putting her helmet back on and making her way back over to the goal.

**XXX**

Finstock blew the whistle, signaling to everyone to come in. Sophia slipped the helmet off her head and threw the goal stick aside.

"Hustle!" Finstock yelled as the last of the boys came into the circle. "McCall, Stilinski, grab the long sticks. You're covering the goal for two-on-ones and Sophia is the goalie." She looked at him, tilting her head.

"Seriously Coach? I hated goal when I played on the team and I hate it now." She said and he rolled his eyes.

"Danny's gone. I need someone." She rolled her eyes and grabbed the goal stick again but left her helmet on the bench. She put her hair up in a messy bun before putting her gloves back on. "Let's go, line it up!"

"We still don't know if he's a werewolf, too." Stiles said, to the Alphas as they made their way towards the goal. "And if he is, he'd just be cheating. And we'd just be cheating the cheater."

"He's not. I can tell." Sophia said, settling herself in the goal.

"Yeah, I would be able to catch a scent or something." Scott said.

"Maybe you need to get closer." Stiles said.

"Not this again!" Sophia said, lolling her head back. All the boys had their helmets on, ready to start. Sophia crouched slightly as Stiles and Scott got ready. The whistle blew and Garrett was first. The other boy ran at the goal, he spun to avoid Stiles but Scott jumped, knocking his stick down into Garrett's causing the boy to fall and the ball to come out of his net. She could hear the other players groaning but Finstock was cheering.

"That's my boys!" He yelled to them on the field. Scott and Stiles high fived before playfully saluting Sophia. She chuckled and shook her head. They used almost the same strategy with the next guy, this time, Scott hitting him with his shoulder and knocking him to the ground. She watched as Scott and Stiles hit their helmets together, he human shaking his head out slightly. They hit the next guy together, knocking him flat on his back. Sophia cheered, more of a spectator than a real goalie at the moment. "That's how you do it! That's how it's done!" She could hear Finstock yell. The boys jumped and chest bumped, Scott landing on his feet while Stiles fell, scrambling to get back up. Liam stepped up next and Sophia got back into position while the boys focused their attention on the freshman. The whistle blew and Liam managed to lift his stick to avoid Stiles and duck and spin under Scott to come face-to-face with Sophia. She spun her stick, watching his body language for any sign on where he was sending the ball. He spun the stick behind his back before spinning once and letting the ball fly. It hit her hard in the left arm but still managed to go into the goal. She dropped her stick, shaking off her right hand's glove before pressing it over the spot. Once the pain was gone, she knew that she'd healed from whatever bruise the boy had managed to put on her.

"That was luck!" Malia yelled from the bleachers.

"Oh, God." Sophia said, shaking out her arm and rolling her neck before reaching down to grab her stick and glove.

"Do-over!" She yelled again.

"Sweetheart, there's no do-overs. This is practice." Finstock said to her.

"Ten bucks on Scott and Stiles." She said and Finstock turned back to her.

"I'll take that action." He said to her before turning back to the field. "Hey! Get back in there, Liam!" Sophia shook her head softly before nodding to Scott and Stiles as they came back over, closer to the goal. The whistle blew and Sophia was almost sure she'd heard Scott growl, she bit her lip as Liam came running towards them. As expected, he easily avoided Stiles before Scott managed to get low and get his shoulder down around Liam's hip area and flipped the boy over his shoulder. She was sure she heard something snap when he landed on the ground.

"Shit!" She said as she dropped her stick and ran over to the boy. "Don't move." She said as he tried to stand up, putting a hand on his shoulder and one on the thigh of his injured leg. She helped him up, releasing him only for him to almost collapse back down from the pain. Scott and Stiles managed to catch him this time, putting his arms over their shoulders.

"I think it's my leg." Liam said to the coach.

"We better take him to the nurse." Stiles said and Finstock nodded.

"I'll go." Sophia said, following after the three boys.

**XXX**

'_So how was the first day?' _Derek asked Sophia over the phone.

"Well, you know, making boys run until they puke, playing goalie, Scott possibly breaking a freshman's leg… the usual. She said, watching as the boys loaded Liam in the back of the Jeep.

'_You're kidding?' _He said, sounding like he was in disbelief.

"Nope. They're taking him to the hospital right now. I think I'm going to go back inside and discuss the new team with Finstock." She said, waving at the boys when they left. "Do you want me to cook tonight or just pick something up on my way to the loft?" She asked, making her way back inside the school.

'_You can just pick something up. You can pick something up for Peter if you want but I wouldn't recommend it. They just keep coming back if you feed them.' _Derek said and Sophia chuckled.

"Oh, Derek's got all the jokes." She said and he chuckled.

'_I'll see you when you get home.' _He said.

"Alright. Bye." She said, hanging up as she came to Finstock's office. She smiled to herself before walking inside.

**XXX**

After talking and listening to Finstock rant for two hours and picking the majority of the team, Sophia was finally able to leave and to pick up some dinner. She went to a nice little diner on the other side of town, the opposite way from the loft but it was Derek's favorite place to eat when they were out. She pulled into the parking lot, seeing the cars of the regulars and employees. She smiled as she got out, walking inside and sitting at the breakfast bar.

"Well, well. If it isn't little Sophia! Where's that handsome boy of yours?" An older woman, Abigail, asked. Sophia leaned on the counter.

"Back home and waiting for me to come home with dinner." She said and Abigail chuckled.

"Well then, you can't keep him waiting. What can I get you?" The woman asked as she smiled, pulling out her notepad. Sophia told her both of their usual orders before deciding to be nice and ordering something for her other Beta. Abigail smiled.

"Alright, it'll be out in a jiffy." Sophia smiled as the woman walked away. In fifteen minutes, she had their food in to-go containers and a bag and was back in the car, getting ready to make her way back to the loft. It was a twenty-five minute drive but it was worth it with the great smells that were wafting around the car. She pulled in beside the Toyota, getting out and running up the stairs. She slid the door open, seeing Derek on the couch reading.

"I come baring food!" The she-wolf said as she stepped inside before turning to close the door. She turned around and yelped as Derek lifted her up by her thighs, holding the woman closely to him to keep her from falling backwards. She chuckled, wrapping her free arm around his neck while she held their food tightly in the other. "Well, someone's happy to see me." She leaned down, kissing Derek deeply as he walked her to the open kitchen and setting her on the counter. She placed the food behind her as she wrapped both arms around Derek's neck, placing her thumbs on both sides of his neck, around his jumping pulse. Using her thumbs, she gently tipped his head back, leaning down to nip at his Adam's apple before pulling away. Derek's eyes were flashing between yellow and hazel and Sophia was sure hers were doing the same. "Let's eat before it gets any colder." She said, pushing Derek back slightly so that she could reach the food. "Peter! Food!" She called loud enough for the other Beta to hear her, even if he was up the stairs. She opens one of the boxes, seeing Peter's food. She set it beside her before reaching back into the bag. She handed it to Derek, already able to smell that it was his. She pulled out the last box before carefully sliding off the counter when Derek moved to get silver wear and cups for everyone. She glanced up, hearing Peter making his way down the spiral staircase.

"Awe, you do care." Peter said as he made his way over to the box sitting on the counter.

"It's instincts, remember?" She said, raising an eyebrow at the man as she took a bite of her burger. "I'm your Alpha."

"Details." Peter said, rolling his eyes and waving a hand. She rolled her own eyes, smiling at Derek when he scented her shoulder subtly while standing beside her. The rest of the time they ate was uneventful. Derek began throwing everything away when they were done when Derek's phone rang. He glanced up at her before pulling it out of his pocket. He looked surprised before he answered it.

"Hello?" He stood there for a moment listening. "Sheriff, I don't know how much I can…" There was another pause. "I'll be there as soon as I can." He hung up the phone and turned to Sophia.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"There's been a murder at the hospital, apparently the kids' a supernatural." She nodded her head. "He went after Melissa and was fighting Scott."

"Is he okay?" She asked and Derek nodded.

"Yeah, Scott's fine."

"You're going to help?" He nodded as he grabbed his leather jacket.

"I'm going to try." She nodded, grabbing her own coat.

"Let's go." He watched her for a moment before nodding, grabbing the keys to the Toyota, following his girlfriend and Alpha out the door.


End file.
